The Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock has declared a permit purportedly authorising cattle imports from India, which has been circulating widely on social media and online platforms, to be fabricated and deliberately misleading.
In a statement issued Wednesday, the ministry said initial verification found no correspondence between the circulating document and any official approval, record or process of the Department of Livestock Services (DLS).
The DLS confirmed the permit was not issued by the department, adding that the information, reference numbers and signatures appearing on the document could not be verified. "The document will not be recognised as a valid government import authorisation."
The ministry urged the public, traders and all concerned parties not to make any decisions based on the false and misleading document, and requested that people refrain from sharing or circulating such materials without verification.
It also warned that legal action may be taken against those found spreading the fabricated information.
For accurate information, the ministry advised the public to rely solely on the official website of the Department of Livestock Services and other credible government sources.