Bhubaneswar: Odisha Police launched a coordinated statewide crackdown on alleged cattle smuggling mafia on Saturday, targeting multiple locations.
As part of the special operation, extensive raids were conducted on alleged cattle smuggling networks in Bhadrak, Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts, targeting multiple locations linked to illegal cattle transportation activities.
Acting on intelligence inputs, police teams conducted simultaneous operations in several areas, including Gobindarajpur and Talapada under Baishinga areas in Mayurbhanj district.
Raids were also carried out by special teams at multiple locations in Bhadrak and Balasore districts since early morning under tight security arrangements.
A report from Mayurbhanj said a large-scale operation was launched under the supervision of senior police officials, including SDPO Betnoti Minati Biswal and Inspectors-in-Charge from Baishinga, Baripada, Morada and Betnoti police stations. Around two platoons of police force were deployed during the operation.
During the operation, police searched the residences of individuals suspected to be involved in illegal cattle smuggling activities for several years. During the raids, officials reportedly seized cash, gold and silver ornaments worth lakhs of rupees, along with documents related to land and property transactions. The accused have been identified as Asikur Rehman alias Fakir of Govindarajpur and Mallik Ustar of Talapada, along with their associates and relatives.
Officials said the search operations were conducted based on credible intelligence and were aimed at dismantling long-running illegal cattle trade networks operating in the region. Magistrates and revenue officials also accompanied the police teams during the raids.
In Bhadrak district, police simultaneously launched late-night raids on the houses of six alleged cattle smugglers. The operations were carried out in both Bhadrak Town and Puruna Bazaar police station areas under the supervision of senior officers. Two persons have been arrested in connection with the case and identified as Jahid Khan (19) of Puruna Bazaar and Munu Khan of Budhabazar area.
Police seized cash, gold ornaments and bank passbooks during the operation. Officials said further raids are continuing and more arrests are likely as investigations progress.
In similar crackdown in Balasore district, police raided at least 10 locations under Jaleswar, Bhograi, Basta, Baliapal and Kamarda police station limits. A total of seven police teams and five platoons of force were deployed in the overnight operation.
Police said two persons were detained during the raids, and several valuables including gold, silver ornaments, cash and weapons such as swords were seized. Several vehicles, including cars, pickup vans and motorcycles, were also confiscated.
According to sources, verification and investigation are currently underway to identify further links in the network. The crackdown against cattle smuggling will continue across the districts, and strict legal action will be taken against all those found involved, a senior police officer said.
