Bhubaneswar: Cash to the tune of Rs 70 lakh, and gold and silver jewellery worth lakhs of rupees, were seized during a raid at the house of a suspected cattle mafia at Mullasahi under Puruna Bazar police limits in Odisha’s Bhadrak district.
Acting on a court warrant issued by the Judicial Magistrate First Class in Keonjhar on January 6, a joint team from Bhadrak and Keonjhar police headed by a DSP and comprising three inspectors, six sub-inspectors and two platoons of personnel searched the premises of Sheikh Rajan, also known as Taujuddin (40), late Friday night, leading to the seizures which also included two SUVs, and other valuables.
This was part of large-scale, coordinated raids across multiple districts, targeting an organised syndicate involved in the theft, illegal transportation, and trafficking of cattle, primarily to West Bengal. The operation, which unfolded late Friday night and continued into Saturday, involved extensive searches at 46 locations primarily in Keonjhar, Jajpur, Khurda and several parts of Bhadrak district.
Speaking to the media, Keonjhar Sadar SDPO Sudarsan Gangoi said several cases are pending against the cow smuggler in different police stations in the district. “He was under the scanner of Keonjhar SP for the last 10 months. The raid was conducted with two platoons of police force. A substantial amount of cash has been recovered and counting is underway. Jewellery and property papers have also been seized,” he said.
Ranjan, who is accused of orchestrating organised criminal activities, including cattle theft and smuggling across state borders, has been detained. Further raids are underway at five other linked locations, including Kosham Bazaar, as investigations into the cattle smuggling network proceed.
Keonjhar Town police station IIC Srikant Sahu added the raids are being conducted by 47 teams in the four districts against alleged cow trafficking mafias on the instructions of the SP.
This operation has come amid persistent challenges with cattle smuggling in the region with these districts serving as key transit points.
