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A male two-way permit holder, who was found operating an illegal poultry slaughtering factory in Yuen Long, was convicted at the Tuen Mun Magistrates' Court today (February 24).
A spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said: "The man was found guilty of operating an unlicensed food factory, keeping livestock without a licence, and breaching conditions of stay."
FEHD officers raided the illegal poultry slaughtering factory at Kai Pak Leng, Yuen Long during a blitz operation on February 17 and uncovered some 1,000 live chickens and 80 dressed poultry.
The two-way permit holder arrested at the site was sentenced to three months' imprisonment and fined $ 2,000 for the offences.
The spokesman stressed that the Department would continue to take stringent enforcement actions against all illegal slaughtering activities to protect public health and maintain environmental hygiene.
According to the Food Business Regulation, the maximum penalty for operating an unlicensed food factory is a fine of $50,000 and six months' imprisonment plus a daily fine of $900.
Ends/Friday, February 24, 2006
Issued at HKT 19:21
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