The discovery of an apparent illegal slaughterhouse in the Forkhill and Bessbrook areas of south Armagh have once again opened up questions about the source of meat in the food chain.

The makeshift abattoir was discovered following a raid by the PSNI on Monday.

The Dealer understands that the slaughterhouse was owned by a solicitor based in Co Down.

It has long been rumoured that animals stolen in the south Armagh, Louth, Down and Monaghan areas have ended up in illegal slaughterhouses before the meat makes its way into the human food chain.

Farmers on the Cooley Peninsula in Louth have reported a significant increase in the number of stolen animals recently.

One informed source told the Dealer that certain pubs in Newry had plates piled high with unusually high amounts of beef in recent times. “There was more beef than pints at times in these places. It was very unusual,” the source told me.