221 stalls targeted

Kebab raid: action by the finance department “with a vengeance”

Nothing learned from the meat scandal: financial police inspected 221 kebab stands again and found what they were looking for.

(Bild: BMF)

One year after the rotten meat scandal surrounding the popular kebab, the operators have apparently learned nothing! There was another raid on 221 snack bars - and the financial police found something everywhere.

In the summer of last year, a wave of disease rolled through Europe. Cheap chicken meat from Poland for kebab skewers was contaminated with salmonella. The germs sickened 27 victims here in Austria alone, and a 63-year-old Carinthian even died.

There were also more than 100 other patients in Germany, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Norway and Great Britain.

Nothing learned from the meat scandal: financial police inspected 221 kebab stands again and found what they were looking for.

(Bild: BMF)

Action "with spicy" at domestic kebab stands
Now, a year later, the figures from a five-day Austria-wide "mit scharf" campaign by the financial police at local kebab stands are dramatic. It seems as if the snack bar operators have learned nothing. Because practically none of the 221 businesses inspected were operating in accordance with the law!

Meat samples were taken in minute detail and pay slips were also scrutinized.

(Bild: Gruppe Sofortmaßnahmen)

The results are also "shocking" for the Minister of Finance
A total of 272 infringements were uncovered by the officials. "Unfortunately, the results of the focus campaign are alarming. We will continue to carry out such large-scale checks and thus protect all honest companies," said Finance Minister Magnus Brunner.

The list of deficiencies reported is long: from illegal employment to unused cash registers (in 48 cases these were missing, and in a further 60 there were no correct invoices), trade regulations and catastrophic hygiene conditions. As a result, the food inspectorate had to be alerted at three snack bars.

Undeclared work, mini-wages & co. in focus
There were also more than 150 complaints about incorrect or non-existent work records, social security reporting violations, wage dumping, etc. among the 418 employees inspected - 286 of whom were of foreign origin.

Almost 40,000 euros in tax debts were also collected as part of the nationwide raid. The inspected businesses are now facing severe back payments and penalties.