cattle smuggling
Vehicle carrying cattle meant for smuggling in Arunachal Pradesh passing through Dibrugarh streets on Tuesday. Photo: Avik Chakraborty

Cattle smuggling in Dibrugarh district appears to have assumed alarming proportions. Cattle smugglers are ruling the roost in the district. They are active in these days and running the illegal trade by managing everybody in the district.

The district has, of late, witnessed rise in cattle smuggling because of the demand of meat increases across the district. The demand for meat has given opportunities to the smugglers to carry out the unscrupulous trade as it brings lot of quick money.

Locals alleged that a cattle carrying vehicle had passed through the Grambazar road in Dibrugarh under the nose of the police. However, police turned a blind eye on the incident and allowed the vehicle to go without checking.  This raised doubts in the minds of the conscious citizens who alleged a section of the traffic police personnel are hands in glove with the cattle smugglers.

Sources said the traffic department allows the cattle carrying vehicles to pass through the checkgate without checking documents.

According to reports, there has been a spurt in cattle smuggling in Dibrugarh and cattle smugglers lift stray cattle during night and sell them into slaughter house.

“The demand of beef is high in Arunachal Pradesh and the cattle smugglers after picking stray cows transport them to Arunachal. Sometimes they use water ways to transport cattle,” sources said.