NAIROBI,Kenya Apr 8-Law enforcement officers from Makindu have dismantled a clandestine donkey slaughter syndicate that was moments away from selling the meat in Nairobi.According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), detectives acting on a tip-off raided a secluded homestead where unscrupulous traders had turned the site into a makeshift abattoir, slaughtering donkeys under cover of darkness.The meat was reportedly destined for Kamboo in Nairobi.A multi-agency team comprising DCI detectives, National Police Service (NPS) officers, and NGAO administrators swooped in, catching the suspects in the act.“Acting on a tip-off that was as sharp as a butcher’s knife, the team of officers descended upon a group of unscrupulous merchants that had turned a secluded homestead into a makeshift abattoir, where donkeys were being butchered under the cover of darkness, destined for Kamboo area in Nairobi,”the DCI noted.While some accomplices escaped into nearby bushes, the masterminds, 47-year-old Grace Mutile and 52-year-old Bonface Mutunga, were arrested on the spot.The suspects’ vehicle, a grey Isuzu D-Max (Reg. No. KDJ 385Z), was impounded before it could transport the illicit cargo to the city.At the scene, authorities discovered 20 slaughtered donkeys, a grim reminder of a trade that endangers public health and violates animal welfare standards.“At the scene, a total of twenty (20) donkeys had already been slaughtered, their carcasses strewn across the ground, a grim testament to a trade that prioritises profit over public health and animal welfare,”the DCI stated.Crime Scene Investigation experts combed through the site, collecting and preserving evidence, while Sub-County Veterinary and Public Health Officers ensured that none of the contaminated meat entered the food chain.The arrested couple now faces prosecution, as authorities vow to continue cracking down on illegal meat syndicates that put consumers and animals at risk.“As the two suspects cool their heels in the cells awaiting their day in court, the Sub-County Veterinary and Public Health Officers are on-site to ensure the contaminated meat doesn’t find its way into the food chain,”the DCI said.