(IN): Surge in cattle smuggling

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Link:

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070425/asp/northeast/story_7688222.asp

 

Surge in cattle smuggling

 

OUR CORRESPONDENT

Dhubri

 

April 24: The Indo-Bangladesh border in this Lower Assam district has

of late become the hotbed of cattle smugglers.

 

Smugglers previously used to smuggle out cattle to Bangladesh mainly

through the porous sections of the international border of Meghalaya,

but increased vigilance there seems to have forced them to shift base

to Dhubri.

 

Several herds of cattle have been seized by BSF personnel near border

checkpoints in recent weeks, indicating that smugglers have been using

the district as a corridor.

 

On Sunday night, BSF personnel apprehended one Atif Ali while he was

trying to smuggle out 16 heads of cattle, valued at Rs 3.18 lakh, to

Bangladesh through the border at Lakhimari under Golokganj police

station. He was later turned over to Golokganj police. BSF sources

said cattle valued at Rs 20 lakh had been seized along the border

since January. Cattle worth Rs 20 lakh has been seized in Dhubri

district alone this year. The BSF had seized cattle worth nearly Rs 2

crore from the Indo-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya.

 

The smugglers purchase cattle in West Bengal, Bihar, Haryana, Punjab

and Uttar Pradesh and bring them to the Chagolia inter-state check

gate in the district on trucks. They split the cattle into several

small herds and hand them over to " transporters " , who take the village

route on foot to reach the border by avoiding the checkpoints along

the way,

 

" It takes two days for a transporter to reach his destination, where

they receive a fee of Rs 300 per animal. The main traders, however, do

not remain much behind the transporters. They shadow them all along

the route. Sometimes, they shelter the cattle in makeshift tents in

interior villages, " a source said.

 

Loopholes in the law enable some cattle smugglers to go scot free.

Dhubri police detained cattle at Dhubri Kachari ghat a few months ago,

but had to release them " for want of evidence " . " We cannot detain

anybody unless he/she is spotted smuggling out cattle across the

border. Only the BSF has the authority to seize cattle on the border, "

a police official said.