A woman has been fined more than $25,000 and an associate ordered to undertake 300 hours of community service after an unregistered homekill business illegally slaughtered and sold pigs.
Auckland woman Suli Rachael Rejoice Adimim, 43, was fined $25,245 and Auckland man Bruce Baru Luke Vunipola, 38, has been ordered to do 300 hours of community work for the illegal slaughter and sales of the pigs.
The pair were both sentenced in the Papakura District Court on January 29 on seven charges under the Animal Products Act, and one charge under the Animal Welfare Act following a New Zealand Food Safety investigation.
New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle said the “so-called homekill business was not registered as required under the Animal Products Act, meaning they were operating without a risk management programme”.
“By failing to do this, they avoided meeting vital checks and balances in our food safety system that are there to keep consumers safe,” he said.
Arbuckle said an investigation found the pair illegally sold 222 pigs and four sheep, earning nearly $60,000.
“While someone buying one of these pigs may have considered it a great deal, their health was potentially put at risk because of the pair’s illegal behaviour,” he said.
An investigation was launched following a complaint from a member of the public in July 2022 – concerned with the welfare of pigs on a farm and claiming to have seen farmers killing and selling pigs.
An Animal Welfare Inspector visited the property and spoke with Vunipola. They observed butchering facilities and a whiteboard with the names of customers and details of pigs sold. This visit led to a wider investigation, which included a covert Food Safety investigator buying a live pig that would be killed on site for $310 cash in October 2022.
In November 2022, Vunipola was served a Notice of Direction under the Animal Products Act prohibiting him from operating as a homekill provider as he did not have a registered risk management programme. He was provided education and information on how to operate legally, which he acknowledged understanding.
However, Food Safety investigators found the illegal slaughter and selling of pigs continued when another covert investigator was offered a pig for sale in November by Vunipola’s associate, Adimim, for which the Food Safety investigator paid $220 cash.
Adimim was served the same notice of direction as Vunipola, but investigators found the sales continued, and charges were laid against the pair.
“The majority of operators in New Zealand follow the rules and understand the importance of doing so to keep consumers safe,” said Arbuckle.
MPI strongly encouraged any member of the public who was aware of animal ill-treatment or cruelty to report it to the MPI animal welfare complaints freephone 0800 00 83 33.
