SHILLONG: The East Jaintia Hills police and BSF personnel have recovered as many as 59 heads of cattle in the district.
East Jainta Hills SP Vivekananda Singh said that on October 24, around 2 pm during a joint checking conducted by Lumshnong Police team and BSF, Umkiang BOP at Sonapur, one truck ( AS-23-AC -9029 ) was detected carrying 19 heads of cattle. The driver of the truck Md. Mofidul Islam and two persons accompanying him, Md. Jamir Hussain and Md. Raqibul, were asked to produce relevant documents but they failed to do so.
Accordingly, they were detained and taken to Lumshnong Police Station and a case was registered. Again on the same day , another truck (MZ 05 7625) was detected carrying 40 heads of cattle. The driver of the vehicle fled from the scene. Later, the truck along with cattle was brought to Lumshnong Police Station and case was registered.
All the cattle have been seized
Meanwhile, BSF Meghalaya Frontier in a separate statement admitted that the attempt of cattle smuggling along the Indo-Bangladesh Border in the state has increased recently.
BSF PRO in the statement said that cattle are transported to Meghalaya from
adjoining Assam and the trucks carrying cattle for smuggling ply on the national highway in full public view.
“ Desperation on the part of these smugglers is apparent from the daring bids to bypass the MCP at Sonapur bridge. Joint operation with local police will continue in future to avert smuggling of cattle,” the BSF said.