Two men arrested in horsemeat 'fraud' investigation

City of London police only revealed news months into inquiry 'for operational reasons' and would not say when men were arrested

Horse meat (BBC/ Dragonfly)

Two men have been arrested as part of an investigation by British police into the horsemeat scandal, it was revealed today.

City of London Police said that since launching an inquiry in May they have held two men on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and interviewed a further two men under caution.

The force said it has only released details now due to "operational reasons", and would not say when the men were arrested or reveal their nationalities.

Detective Chief Superintendent Oliver Shaw, from the City of London Police, said: "This is an extremely complex investigation covering a number of jurisdictions and a variety of businesses.

"We are working closely with police forces, other law enforcement agencies and regulators to determine whether horse meat being used in a range of meat products was deliberate and coordinated criminal activity."

City of London Police were asked to work with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) as part of its inquiry into the scandal. It reviewed evidence from law enforcement agencies in Europe and the UK, as well as from the FSA.

The force launched an investigation in May and said it made the arrests "during the initial stages" of the inquiry. Officers also carried out searches at businesses and homes in the UK.

PA