Balasore: In a major crackdown on cattle smuggling, Odisha police on Tuesday carried out simultaneous raids at 33 locations across Balasore, Bhadrak and Mayurbhanj districts, detaining 12 people and seizing more than Rs 46.01 lakh in cash, along with firearms, gold and silver jewellery and several vehicles. Some financial documents were also seized during the raids.The operation, conducted with the support of 18 platoons of police, targeted members of an organised mafia allegedly involved in the illegal cattle trade.Police seized 1.857 kg of gold, 7.873 kg of silver, 25 four-wheelers, two three-wheelers and 33 two-wheelers. They also recovered six swords, one toy gun, 70 bank passbooks, 20 ATM cards, 10 mobile phones and 32 land records. Besides dismantling the organised smuggling network, police also rescued 32 cattle during the operation.In Balasore district, police raided nine locations under Balasore Town, Balasore Sadar, Soro and Khaira police station limits. The raids yielded Rs 21.8 lakh in cash, 50 grams of gold, 1 kg of silver, and 13 four-wheelers. Police also seized four motorcycles, 13 bank passbooks, eight ATM cards, 10 mobile phones, and five land documents.In Mayurbhanj district, police raided 15 locations across Baripada Sadar, Rairangpur and Betnoti sub-divisions. The searches led to the recovery of Rs 12.07 lakh in cash, 212 grams of gold, 2.64 kg of silver, seven four-wheelers, two three-wheelers, 23 motorcycles, 40 bank passbooks and 23 land records. Six suspects were detained in the raid. Police suspect the seized assets were acquired through illegal cattle trade.Nine locations were raided in Bhadrak district under Purunabazar, Bhadrak Rural, Dhusuri and Dhamnagar police station limits. From the residence of Gul Mohammad Khan in Gujidarada, police recovered Rs 12.13 lakh in cash, 1.5 kg gold, and 4.23 kg silver. Other seizures included five four-wheelers, six bikes, six swords, one toy gun, 17 bank passbooks, 12 ATM cards and four land records. Six accused were detained, with police identifying Nilakanthapur and Gujidarada as key hubs of the smuggling network.Eastern range DIG Pinak Mishra said police had recently received multiple reports regarding illegal cattle transportation and theft, following which several cases were registered. He said a large number of cattle had been rescued and several people were arrested in earlier actions, prompting investigators to closely examine the pattern of operations. The probe, he said, revealed that certain individuals were functioning in an organised manner and generating huge profits through such illegal activities.He added that the raids were part of a sustained campaign to dismantle interstate cattle-smuggling networks and choke the financial backbone of the illegal trade.
