Incidents of cow smuggling as well as beef smuggling are increasing steadily on the Bhubaneswar-Chennai National Highway No. 16 and Khordha-Nayagarh National Highway No. 57 . The local people allege that cattle and beef are being smuggled through these routes every day. In the last two days, vehicles carrying beef have been caught in Khordha and Ganjam districts.
Khordha Sadar station police on July 1, 2024 recovered a container of 21 tonnes of beef from a truck. The police have arrested the truck driver Mohammad Rafiq from Andhra Pradesh. The police registered a case in the police station in this matter. After arresting him, the police forwarded him to the court. After his bail was rejected, he has been sent to jail.
According to reports, some Gau Suraksha activists had information that a huge quantity of beef was being smuggled in a container from Bhubaneswar. These Gau Suraksha activists were alert at various places regarding this. Activists chased and stopped the truck near the Pandit Dhaba. After that, they handed over this vehicle to the police.
Gau Suraksha activists said that a Scorpio vehicle which was escorting this truck fled from there.
After recovering this truck, the police brought it to the police station. While checking it, it was found that the beef was packed in thermocol boxes and kept with ice. Some parts of the recovered packets have been sent to the State Forensic Science Laboratory through the District Chief Animal Wealth Hospital for examination.
Earlier on Sunday a similar incident occurred in the neighbouring Ganjam District.
Ganjam Police seized a container truck full of meat. Preliminary investigation had revealed that the container was on its way to Andhra Pradesh from Odisha’s Khurda when Gau Surakshya activists accosted the vehicle near Pokadibandh in Chamakahandi police station area of Ganjam district, suspecting that it was carrying beef.
The driver of the vehicle, identified as A Khan of Haryana, was arrested since he did not have any document related to the consignment.
“We reached the spot and seized the meat-laden vehicle. The driver was arrested as he could not produce valid documents authorizing him to transport the meat,” a police official said.
