Ministry: Police report filed today over production, sale of food with cat meat

Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Welfare states the alleged production and sale of food containing cat meat was reported to Maldives Police Service today.

Earlier this evening, Maldives Immigration issued a ‘Notice to Appear’ for a Bangladeshi national who is suspected of producing and selling food containing cat meat.

Commenting on the matter, an official from Animal Welfare Ministry said a member of the general public reported such a case to the Ministry this morning following which the Ministry had reported the case to the Police.

The official further said the Ministry, alongside Home Ministry, were closely monitoring the case.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Ahmed Shifan confirmed to Sun that Police were undertaking efforts to locate the foreigner who is the suspect in the case.

Maldives Immigration identified the foreigner as a 32-year-old Bangladeshi national, Arafat Hossain.

Anyone with information regarding Arafat’s whereabouts has been asked to contact Maldives Immigration via phone at 9199017 or via email at [email protected].

Feline Welfare Organization, via a post on X, said Arafat illegally works at Valhoamas Market. They said he is suspected of butchering, cooking, eating and selling cat meat.