Jeypore: In a major crackdown on illegal cattle trafficking, Koraput Town police have seized six container trucks and rescued 249 cows over the past two days.
According to police, a total of 22 persons have been arrested in connection with the smuggling operations, which reportedly aimed to transport the cattle to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
The first operation took place on Monday morning near Mausima Square in Koraput Town.
Acting on a tip-off, the police intercepted two container trucks carrying cattle and rescued 39 cows. Five suspects were arrested on the spot. Unfortunately, four of the animals were found dead. A case has been registered under Town PS case number 104/25.
In a follow-up operation early Tuesday morning at the same location, police seized four more trucks carrying 210 cows and arrested 17 more suspects.
Of the 249 cows rescued in total, five were found dead. The surviving 245 have been shifted to a goshala in Jeypore for care and rehabilitation.
Both operations were spearheaded by Inspector-in-Charge Satyananda Patra and his team from the Town police station.
According to police sources, the cattle were being smuggled from the Nabarangpur region, with Koraput serving as a key transit point en route to Hyderabad.
