Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Thursday (April 21), said money earned from cattle smuggling is being diverted to finance Jihadi activities in Assam and North East India.
Cattle smuggling is a thousand crore illegal trade, and Assam, along with a few of its neighbouring states, are victims of this illegal activity.
CM Sarma said Assam police are taking strong action against the cow smuggler rackets and Jihadi network nexus. Two international cattle smugglers from Uttar Pradesh, Akbar and Salman Banjara, were killed in Assam on Monday night.
Assam Police revealed militant groups are helping the cow smugglers in the area for a huge exchange of money. The smugglers were involved in money laundering for cow smuggler networks in the North East, a part of which had been given to the militant organization of the region. Akbar and Salman were involved in illegal gold smuggling from Myanmar, police sources said.
Meanwhile, Nagaon police in Assam seized 58 cattle heads and arrested the two most wanted smugglers, Rafiqul Haque and Monjul Haque. Jakhalabandha police in Nagaon intercepted three vehicles full of smuggled cows on Tuesday. The police team swiftly acted and arrested the wanted smugglers and seized 39 cattle heads.
Nagaon police seized another 19 cows from a vehicle on the national highway. Sensing the police action, the smugglers abandoned the vehicle and fled away.
