Assam: Four Bangladeshis, Indian man detained over alleged cattle smuggling in Sribhumi

Police in Assam’s Sribhumi district detained four Bangladeshi nationals and an Indian man for their alleged involvement in the illegal transportation of cattle and buffaloes, officials said.

The five were detained during a late-night operation in the Badarpur area on Monday, September 21 amid an investigation into suspected cross-border cattle smuggling.

The operation was conducted under the leadership of Sribhumi Border Police DSP Mukut Kakati and Badarpur police station officer-in-charge Manas Pratim Bora.

According to police, the four Bangladeshi nationals were detained from Mahakal village in Badarpur. They were identified as Rezaul Karim, Sabbir Ahmed, Rachel Ahmed and Hasan Ahmed Tahim, all reportedly residents of Zakiganj in Bangladesh’s Sylhet district.

Police also detained an Indian national, identified as Fazal Uddin of Jagadishpur village in Cachar district’s Katigorah constituency. He is suspected of having acted as a middleman in the transportation of cattle and buffaloes in India.

Preliminary investigation suggests that the four Bangladeshi nationals may have entered India through the Tukurgram area along the India-Bangladesh border and were allegedly preparing to transport cattle and buffaloes illegally to Bangladesh.

The detention has prompted an investigation into the circumstances under which the four men allegedly crossed the international border and whether others were involved in the suspected smuggling operation.

Police are questioning the detained individuals to establish their alleged route of entry, identify people associated with the transportation network and determine the circumstances surrounding the movement of cattle and buffaloes.

The investigation is underway, and further details are awaited.