Dibrugarh: Assam’s Dibrugarh police arrested alleged cattle lifter Meraj Khan on Saturday evening from Panchali area during a raid.
Police also arrested his son in connection with the slaughtering of cattle and selling of their meat in the Panchali area of Dibrugarh.
Recently, Dibrugarh police seized a large quantity of banned beef from Panchali during a raid.
During the operation, police recovered 62 kilograms of prohibited meat from a house located near the Brahmaputra river.
Sensing the arrival of the police, the illegal meat trader, identified as Meraj Khan, had fled the spot.
The raid was conducted under the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 2021. The Act prohibits the slaughter of cattle and the sale of beef near temples and in Hindu-majority areas.
“The cattle were brought from the riverine area by boat, and after being secretly slaughtered in the illegal slaughterhouse, they were sold to people. This has been going on secretly for a long time, and Meraj Khan, the notorious cattle thief, has been involved in such activities for years,” said a source.
Despite stringent laws, cattle smuggling and cattle theft have been ongoing in Dibrugarh.
Sources said cattle lifters have been seen roaming at night, lifting cattle from village areas. Many times, they were caught by locals.