SHILLONG, Sep 3: The state has witnessed a major dip in the smuggling of cattle to Bangladesh along the international border, according to data provided by the Border Security Force (BSF).
As per the data, there has been a drop in the number of cattle heads seized; from 10,672 in 2020 to 2,226 till July 2021. “Cattle smuggling has gone down, although we do make some seizures at times,” said a BSF official.
Asked whether the recently introduced Assam Cattle Preservation Bill could be the reason behind the drop in the number of seizures, the official said that the neighbouring state’s legislation might have contributed but “it is too early to assess that”.
“Let few more months pass and only then will we be able to understand whether it has actually brought the smuggling down and if yes to what extent,” the official added.
He, however, said that one cannot undermine that the COVID-19 pandemic is also a potential contributor to the drop in the number of cattle heads seized.
Truck loads of cattle heads have been regularly seized in the past, which, according to officials, cost around Rs 5,000 per head and even goes up to whopping larger rates during Eid.
