Suspected mouflon meat trading ring uncovered

A dead, skinned mouflon, a protected species, was discovered in a house in Kannaviou, Paphos on Wednesday, by officers of the Game and Fauna Service, who believe they have uncovered a mouflon meat trading ring.

They said they raided a house in Kannaviou on Wednesday morning, after securing a search warrant, and found a dead skinned mouflon and pieces of mouflon meat in a freezer.

Officers also found and confiscated mouflon skins and sculls as well as bones, a scale, knives, cleavers, and meat hangers.

“This suggests that maybe trading in mouflon meat was taking place,” an announcement from the Game and Fauna Service said. They also located a number of cartridges which are usually used for big game hunting and whose possession is prohibited.

The Game and Fauna service had placed the house under surveillance for days, following a tip off. The house belongs to a 60-year-old woman who lives there with her husband.

According to reports, the man had run-ins with the police in the past for similar offences. The woman refuses any involvement in the case, while police expect to question other people.

The endemic Cyprus mouflon, ovis orientalis, has lived on the island for more than 8,000 years. The protected species is also mentioned in the EU ‘s Habitats Directive. The Game and Fauna Fund is responsible for the management of the species.

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