How Assam cattle smuggling syndicates use Meghalaya as a transit route
The syndicate pays a fee of Rs 25,000 per vehicle to transport cattle from Assam to Meghalaya.;
The trucks can carry between 100 and 150 cattle, and in larger trucks, the number can reach 200 to 300.
Source: Twitter
Palasbari, Jan 9: In the midst of reports of thriving cattle smuggling syndicates making the rounds, Meghalaya is now emerging as a new transit route of the trafficking syndicates that previously operated primarily through Assam.
According to the sources, cattle are transported in pickup vans from Chhaygaon in Assam to Kulshi, then into Borduar's Rabha Hasong area. The vehicles, after passing through Loharghat and Bagan Bazar, enter Meghalaya's Umshru and continue further within the state. Upon reaching Meghalaya, the cattle are offloaded from the smaller vans and transferred to larger trucks. What follows is a horrific sight: the cattle are loaded onto the trucks with their necks and legs tied, and their mouths and noses are stuffed with plastic to keep them silent.
The sources also mentioned that the trucks can carry between 100 and 150 cattle, and in larger trucks, the number can reach 200 to 300. Large-scale smuggling syndicates must be behind this operation, with vehicles passing through areas like Boko, Chhaygaon, and Palasbari before entering Meghalaya. The syndicate pays a fee of Rs 25,000 per vehicle to transport cattle from Assam to Meghalaya.
On average, 30-40 vehicles make the journey every day, generating significant profits for the operation.
The syndicate also uses bribery to overcome any obstacles, paying off police and local organisations, which allows the smuggling to continue unchecked.
In Meghalaya, the cattle are transported via the NEC Road through Jirang and Mairang, eventually reaching the West Khasi Hills region and then being smuggled into Bangladesh.
It may be mentioned here that the trucks, covered with tarpaulins, conceal the cattle so effectively that detection is nearly impossible. The animals are cruelly bound, and many die during transit, the sources revealed.
Several organisations of South Kamrup have urged Chief Minister Himanta Bishwa Sarma to take action against illegal cattle smuggling in the state.
By
A Correspondent
