BEIRUT: Police in the southern city of Tyre discovered a large amount of outdated and spoiled fish Wednesday thrown in a dumpster in Al-Bass locality, in the eastern part of the city, according to the National News Agency (NNA).

The residents of the city decided to get rid of the outdated fish, which amounted to approximately one ton, reported the NNA.

The police were called and security forces launched an investigation into the incident.

The NNA also said that Khalil Judy, the chairman of the health and environment committee in Tyre, gave assurances that an investigation is under way with one of the suspects, noting that “the process of inspecting and monitoring all shops and restaurants in the city is ongoing and will not stop.”

In March, food safety inspectors in Tyre raided a number of shops and seized outdated and decayed canned meat. The incident caused panic among residents, who became concerned over their health.

In recent months, a series of raids has taken place on warehouses and establishments around the country, uncovering tons of meat and other goods whose expiry dates have lapsed. One such raid led to the confiscation of a massive amount of spoiled fish from a warehouse in Sarafand, south Lebanon.

Authorities have detained a number of individuals for questioning over possible violations of food safety regulations, after catching them in the act of disposing of expired foodstuffs.