The Old Harbour police and the St Catherine Public Health Department are investigating claims that the 'meat' from 10 donkeys slaughtered in the parish last week might have been sent to Haiti as part of the illicit 'guns-for-drugs' trade between that country and Jamaica.

Speaking with THE STAR yesterday, Chief Public Health Inspector for St Catherine, Anthony Williams, said since hearing the rumour, the department has deployed a team to look into it.

"I heard the rumour last weekend and I immediately dispatched a team to investigate it," Williams said. "We are yet to come up with anything - but so far our investigations have proven that the alleged meat is not a part of our local meat supply."

He said the illegal gun-trading activities between Haiti and Jamaica, taking place on the island's south coast, tends to be a 'closed-circuit' one that very few outside that inner circle may have credible information on. He said that this makes it is difficult to get authentic information on the rumoured 'donkey-meat' trade as many persons give information off hearsay and not necessarily first-hand factual knowledge.

Inspector Selwyn Williams, subofficer in charge of the Old Harbour police, said they are tracking the allegations but are yet to uncover any leads. "We are investigating the speculations but we haven't uncovered anything yet," he said. "We heard the rumour and are tracking the whole thing."

Last Friday, the heads of 10 donkeys and several bags, stuffed full of intestines, were discovered on a farm in Church Pen, Old Harbour. Following the gruesome find, speculations flew wildly that the 'foreign' meat might have been incorporated with other meats on the island's market. The St Catherine Public Health Department dismissed the assumption however, assuring consumers that this was not the case.