Four men up in court over alleged tampering with IDs and microchips of horses for slaughter

The four men, one in his 30s, one in his 40s, and two in their 50s were arrested and charged with a variety of offences related to organised deception and fraudulent practices as part of ‘Operation Lanyard’.

Members of the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI) arrested and charged the men this morning, and they are due to appear at Kilkenny District Court today.

Today’s developments follow on from a three-year joint investigation carried out by GNBCI supported by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).

In June 2020, five men aged between 35 and 55, were initially arrested for the offence of participation in a criminal organisation contrary to Section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2006.

The five men were detained under the provisions of Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007 at Carrick-on-Shannon, Longford and Roscommon Garda Stations.

The arrests came following searches at locations in Roscommon, Leitrim, Sligo, Westmeath and Kilkenny. A total of seven sites were searched, including farms, houses and a commercial premises.

The operation led by GNBCI also involved officers from the Criminal Assets Bureau, Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau and Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau.