Kokrajhar: Five trucks, in which at least 80 cattle were being transported, were seized at Karigaon area along National Highway-31C in Assam’s Kokrajhar district on Thursday morning. The cattle were reportedly being transported from Pandipara and Sonapur areas of West Bengal to Nine Mile in Guwahati.
However, Pioneer Livestocks, Guwahati, the company responsible for purchasing the cattle, maintained that they have all required documents that will prove that the animals were purchased in West Bengal.
According to the police, soon after getting an information about the movement of cattle, vehicles along NH 31C at Karigaon were being checked since late Wednesday night. Later on Thursday morning, five trucks carrying the cattle were seized which were allegedly being brought by Pioneer Livestocks, Guwahati. The registration numbers of the trucks carrying the cattle, including 14 buffalos, are AS01JC-0883, UP22AT-3579, AS01JC-4322, AS01JC-4333 and AS01HC.
During interrogation, the truck drivers couldn’t produce the required documents and accordingly, police seized the trucks and the cattle and a case has been registered at Kokrajhar police station in this regard.
“The police administration has been taking strong initiatives against the reported cases of cattle smuggling along national highway on regular basis. Investigation is going on,” a senior police officer said.
Meanwhile, the management of Pioneer Livestocks, Guwahati has claimed that the cattle were carrying through proper documents from West Bengal.
One of members of Pioneer Livestocks, Anjuma Hussain Thengal, said, “Kokrajhar police found the cattle in the early morning and immediately, we rushed to the spot and showed the valid purchase documents. It is not a smuggling case.”
