Major cattle smuggling racket busted in Odisha, over 200 cattle recovered

Odisha Police busted a major cattle smuggling racket on Saturday, intercepting the illegal transportation of cattle from Mayurbhanj to West Bengal during a crackdown on National Highway 49 near Jharpokharia. The operation led to the arrest of seven alleged members of the smuggling mafia and the recovery of over 200 cattle, officials said.

The crackdown was part of a wider multi-district operation aimed at dismantling organised cattle smuggling networks operating across northern Odisha.

Raids Conducted in Mayurbhanj

As part of the operation, police carried out a raid at Baripada, searching the residence of Surjit Mohanty. During the search, police seized Rs 3.5 lakh in cash, along with gold and silver ornaments.

In another operation at Tentoposi in Rairangpur, police raided nearly seven houses linked to cattle smugglers. During the raids, four pickup trucks and nine motorcycles were seized, while six persons were detained for questioning.

Police said the alleged masterminds of the racket were operating from Mayurbhanj, using the district as a transit point to smuggle cattle outside Odisha. Due to its proximity to Jharkhand and West Bengal, the district has reportedly been used as a key route for cattle trafficking.

Cattle Recovered at Jharpokharia

Following the detentions, police recovered nearly 300 cattle at Jharpokharia. Officials said smugglers were attempting to move cattle on foot along highways when police intercepted them during the operation.

Authorities said the cattle would be counted on Sunday, their health condition assessed, and later shifted to cattle shelters.

Joint Raid in Jajpur

In a separate operation, Keonjhar and Jajpur police conducted a joint raid at the residence of Shaik Sharif under Sadar police station limits in Jajpur district on Saturday.

During the raid, police seized over Rs 1 lakh in cash, documents related to 17 land parcels, 13 mobile phones, a Thar SUV, a Creta, a Dzire car, and two Bullet motorcycles.

One individual was forwarded to court after meat was found in his refrigerator, with samples sent for laboratory examination to determine whether it was cattle meat.

Police said Shaik Sharif and his family members, including his sons, were allegedly involved in cattle smuggling for several years, stealing cattle from roadsides and transporting them by trucks and on foot. Two buildings linked to the family were also seized during the raid.

Also Read: Odisha govt steps up crackdown on cattle smuggling, Minister warns of zero tolerance

Search Continues

Police said several suspects managed to flee during the raids, and further investigation is underway to trace all individuals linked to the smuggling network. Authorities said more arrests and seizures are likely as the crackdown continues.