One Kingston man is in police custody, and over 500 pounds of uninspected and mishandled meat were seized during an operation conducted by the Agricultural Protection Branch (APB) in Downtown Kingston yesterday.

58-year-old Milton Bundy, otherwise called ‘Corouches,’ a vendor of Maxfield Avenue, Kingston 13, is charged with unlawful possession of meat, possession of uninspected meat, operating without a butcher’s licence and operating without a food handler’s permit.

Reports are that at about 12:00 P.M., members of the APB Metro team carried out a targeted intelligence-led operation dubbed ‘Operation Farm Shield.’

Preliminary investigations revealed that the seized meat was not subjected to the mandatory inspection process and was being handled in a manner inconsistent with established public health and safety standards.

Police say the seizure was executed to prevent potentially contaminated or spoiled meat from entering the consumer market.

The Constabulary says this action forms part of the APB’s intensified strategy to safeguard Jamaica’s food supply chain and follows ongoing investigations into unlawful meat distribution within the Market District.

The JCF is reminding members of the public to purchase meat only from licensed and certified vendors, ensure products bear appropriate inspection markings and report any suspicious activity involving the sale or distribution of meat.