The police on Wednesday arrested three cattle smugglers and seized 95 cattle heads from their possession in Assam’s Dibrugarh.
The smugglers have been identified as Mohammad Akhtar Raja Khan alias Tiklu Khan, Mohammad Anuwarul Haque and Mohammad Anish Rahman.
A case has been registered against the three accused against Dibrugarh under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and Section 8 of the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 1950.
Dibrugarh superintendent of police Shwetank Mishra said, “After receiving specific information, a police team raided a location near the Brahmaputra river bank and seized 70 cattle heads and arrested Tiklu Khan and Mohammad Anuwarul Haque.”
The police also arrested Anish Rahman during a raid conducted at Panchali area and rescued 25 cattle heads from his possession.
“The cattle were brought from Silapathar area through river route. We are interrogating them and will take action against them,” Mishra said.
Mishra said they will be produced before the judicial magistrate on Thursday.
Sources said the cattles were brought for sacrifice during Eid.
“Tiklo Khan is a notorious cattle smuggler and smuggles most of the cattles through river route and sell them at a high price,” said a source.
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Khan operates the cattle syndicate in Upper Assam by managing police, journalists etc. He has also forged documents, said the source.
“Many a times police seized cattle laden trucks in Dibrugarh during checking, but after sometimes they are released on the basis of forged documents. Cattle smuggling is an organized crime,” the source further said.
Recently, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma instructed the police department to stop illegal smuggling of cattles.