7 cattle smugglers arrested

Bhubaneswar: Police arrested seven persons for their alleged involvement in cattle smuggling and seized 87 animals from them in two north Odisha districts, officials said.

A statement issued by the DIG (Eastern Range) said a special drive against illegal cattle transportation was conducted on Sunday evening. “The drive, carried out in accordance with laws governing cattle transportation, yielded impressive results,” it said. “The police teams seized 87 cattle being smuggled in six vehicles and seven cases have been registered in this connection.

While 12 cattle were seized in Balasore district, 75 others were recovered in Mayurbhanj,” the statement said. The recovery and arrests come close on the heels of a clash that had broken out in Balasore district between activists of an outfit and alleged cow smugglers on March 19.

On March 11, at least two suspected cattle smugglers were injured in an encounter with police in Sambalpur.

The duo, who suffered bullet injuries, hailed from Howrah district in West Bengal, police had said.