Bhubaneswar: In a significant crackdown on illegal cattle trafficking, police on Tuesday rescued 16 cows and detained five persons transporting them to West Bengal. The incident occurred on the Subandiha-Krishnachandrapur road under Rasgovindpur police station in Mayurbhanj district.
The detained have been identified as Suru Tudu, Pintu Dandapat, Surendra Dehuri, Sachindra C, and Premananda Soren, all hailing from West Bengal.
According to Rasgovindpur police station IIC Padmalochan Panigrahi, the team stopped a vehicle during routine patrolling after it appeared suspicious. Upon inspection, they found 16 cows and apprehended the five accused. Receipts seized from the suspects indicated a price of Rs 10,000 per animal.
Police revealed that cattle mafias are sourcing animals from the Khunta cattle market, situated on the border of Mayurbhanj and Balasore districts, and transporting them illegally to West Bengal.
Arrangements have been made for food and drink for all the rescued cattle and further investigations are underway.
