Morocco in grip of DOG MEAT scandal after police find carcasses of pets destined for restaurants

Police in Casablanca find 37 dog carcasses in back of butcher's van

Man said they were destined for restaurants in poor parts of city

Investigation into illegal trade of dog meat launched

Police in Morocco are investigating the illegal trade of dog meat after 37 carcasses were found in a butcher's vehicle

Authorities in Morocco have launched an investigation into the illegal trade of dog meat after 37 carcasses were discovered in the back of a butcher's van.

A man was arrested in the centre of Casablanca after his Honda vehicle was pulled over for a routine traffic offence, it was reported.

Officers decided to search the car and found the dog carcasses in the back.

The driver told police he planned to sell them to restaurants in the poorer areas of the city where they would most likely be used in sausages.

Police have now launched an investigation into the discovery of the dog corpses which they say were 'slaughtered, skinned and prepared for processing into sausages'.

Dog ownership and consumption has been a controversial topic in Morocco, a strictly Islamic country, in recent years.

In January 2009, a restaurant owner in Casablanca was jailed for six years for selling dog meat presented as beef to his customers.



During the investigation, the man confessed to preparing the dog meat with chemicals to mask the smell and colour of it.



His four accomplices were sentenced to between eight months and four years in prison.



Islamic traditionalists have also been known to poison large numbers of stray dogs because they view them as 'unclean animals'.

Religious leaders have taken advantage of a new Islamic government in Morocco – which came to power in November 2011 - to try and eradicate as many dogs as they can.

Dog ownership is controversial in Casablanca where Islamic fundamentalists view them as 'unclean' animals

And a new law is currently being considered by Morocco's Parliament banning dogs considered 'aggressive'.

Owners of 'dangerous dogs' face up to five years in prison and a fine of £3,000.



Interior Minister Mohand Laenser told members of parliament that the new law mainly concerned the owners of Pitbull terriers because of the danger these animals represent 'to the security and peace of mind of citizens.'



But he also mentioned the use of such breeds 'for criminal purposes'.

Saad Jamil, a 32-year-old motorcycle salesman from Casablanca who owns a Rottweiler , said: 'People in Morocco do not have the dog culture, they get dogs most of the time to show off.



'A few years ago we had a lot of dog fighting going on in the city, and breeders all over started breeding Pitbulls, those poor beasts where beaten and terrorised to get the worst behaviour out of them'.