Cattle thief
Two cattle thieves arrested in Dibrugarh. Image credit - Northeast Now

Instances of cattle thefts have been on the rise in Upper Assam’s Dibrugarh district.

In the latest incident, two cattle thieves were arrested by police in Dibrugarh on Wednesday and four cattle heads were recovered from an Indica Vista car (AS-01 AN-2260).

The car was registered in the name of one Bikash Gogoi.

According to police, Gabrupathar police chased the cattle thieves but they tried to flee by speeding their vehicle.

Then the Gabrupathar police informed the Milan Nagar outpost about the car.

Sources said, the thieves tried to smash the police vehicle.

Later police arrested the cattle thieves identified as Babu Tanti alias Niku and Raja Singh of Marwaripatty, Koliaghat in Dibrugarh.

Sources alleged that Tiklo Khan is a notorious cattle smuggler and he has been running the whole racket in Upper Assam.

According to sources, the gang has been smuggling cattle without any hindrance from the local police.

They have support of some politicians, sources added.

It may be mentioned that a cattle smuggler was shot dead by BSF troops along the Indo-Bangla international border at Mankachar in Assam’s South Salmara district in the wee hours on November 15, 2019.

Also read: Assam: Cattle smuggler shot dead along Indo-Bangla border

Police sources said the cattle smuggler was identified as Asharaful Houqe, 23, from Kanaimara Dipchar village under Mankachar police station.

The incident occurred when a group of suspected cattle smugglers tried to smuggle cattle to the neighbouring country through the fenced wire near the Kanaichar border outpost but the troops of BSF personnel on duty had challenged them.

Also read: Assam: Cattle-laden trucks seized in Hojai

Meanwhile, on September 6, 2019, acting on a tip-off Daboka Police seized two cattle-laden trucks on National Highway 54 in Hojai district.

The trucks contained 19 cows and 11 buffaloes.

Also read: BSF kills Bangladeshi cattle smuggler in Karimganj

As per information, the two trucks bearing no. AS 01 EC 6007 and AS 02 BC 2509 were en route to Jorabat from Murajhar.

The police took the trucks under its custody and took it to Daboka Police Station.

One Aftab Uddin was taking the cattle to Jorabat for illegally export it to Bangladesh via Meghalaya border.

The drivers and the helpers of the trucks escaped from the spot.