Police catch passenger bus smuggling bovines in Samba

Samba police have detected a new modus operandi of bovine smugglers, in which passenger buses are being used to carry animals from one part of the region to another.

Tightening the noose around bovine smugglers and their propagators, Samba police successfully foiled two bovine-smuggling attempts in the jurisdiction of Police Station Ghagwal and rescued 14 bovines from the smugglers. The vehicles, including a small truck and a passenger bus, have been seized as they were being used for illegal transportation.

An official stated that, acting on information, a police party from Ghagwal successfully intercepted a passenger bus bearing registration number JK02CN-9009 near FCI Chowk Suandha Jatwal. During inspection, six bovines were found inside the bus and were being transported illegally.

“Police rescued the bovines and shifted them to a safer place. Due to the ongoing efforts of Samba police to combat bovine smuggling in the district, bovine smugglers are now resorting to new modus operandi, uses passenger bus this time in an attempt to evade detection,” said an official.

A case under Section 223 of the BNS Act and the 11 PCA Act has been registered at Police Station Ghagwal and investigation started.

In another incident, a police team, while performing vehicle checking duty at Naka NHW Tapyal, signalled a Tata-407 bearing registration number JK02CS-2696 to stop for checking. However, the driver accelerated and hit the naka road barrier, causing damage to it.

“The cops pursued and successfully intercepted the vehicle near Jatwal. During checking, eight bovines were found inside the vehicle, tied in a cruel manner and being transported illegally without any valid permission,” the official said.