Police caught a Chinese restaurant in Brazil using dog meat in their pastries and selling them to unwitting customers.

Investigators, who have been probing the popular fast food restaurant over reports of workers in slave-like conditions, found boxes of frozen dog carcass stored in the shop. The dogs, which appeared to have been repeatedly beaten to death in the head, were used as an ingredient for 'pastels' a popular Brazilian pastry.

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This traditional Brazilian delicacy is deep-fried and usually filled with ground beef.

Authorities said the restaurant owner, Chinese businessman Van Ruilonc, admitted to using dog meat in making the snacks. But the businessman argued that these were stray dogs that he had caught in the streets of Rio de Janeiro. 

Public prosecutor Guadalupe Louro Couto said police arrived to see a very shocking scene. Aside from the stench of dead dogs, officers were outraged to see jail-like cells inside the snack bar, where workers were imprisoned.

"We were perplexed. There were various crimes being committed there," he said.

Ruilonc, 32, was also being investigated for trafficking Chinese workers, who were forced to work 18 hours a day without getting paid. He owns dozens of pastry shops in Rio, including the one raided in the northern district of Prada de Lucas. He also owns one in the district of Copacabana.

It remains unclear for how long the popular fast food house had been serving dog meat to its customers.  Brazil condemns acts of cruelty to animals. It is an offense under Brazilian law that's punishable by a jail term of three months to one year with fines.

TagsChinese Restaurant, dog meat, pastel, Rio de Janeiro