HYDERABAD: Six butchers were arrested and 1.5 tonnes of meat was seized in a crackdown against `pressured and illegal` animal meat in Hyderabad by Municipal Corporation Administrator Khalid Mehmood Shaikh, his team, police and revenue officials on Monday.

Talking to reporters, he said butchers who had been slaughtering animals in two houses located on Masan Road and Paretabad were arrested and handed over to the police stations concerned including Pinyari and Sakhi Pir.

He said police would lodge a case under Animal Slaughter Control Act against the suspects.

He said animals must be slaughtered at abattoirs, but some butchers were slaughtering animals in their houses.

The administrator said the action was taken under a campaign launched 10 days ago against illegal and pressured meat in Hyderabad. The drive would continue unless malpractices were over in the district, he said, claiming that the recovered meat was destroyed.