CBI arrests key cross-border cattle smuggler

CBI has arrested a man from Delhi, said to be one of the masterminds and alleged cattle smuggler in the cross-border cattle trade case. The accused, Mohammad Enamul Haque, is named as the main accused in the CBI FIR registered on September 21, along with Border Security Force (BSF) Commandant Satish Kumar, who is now currently posted in Chhattisgarh's Raipur.

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday said that it arrested one of the masterminds and alleged cattle smuggler in the cross-border cattle trade case.

According to senior CBI officials, the arrested accused has been identified as Mohammad Enamul Haque. He was arrested from Delhi, sources said.

The action comes after the agency sleuths on Thursday carried out searches at five locations in West Bengal's Kolkata on the residential and office premises of two Chartered Accountants.

Haque has been named as one of the main accused in the CBI FIR registered on September 21, along with Border Security Force (BSF) Commandant Satish Kumar, who is now currently posted in Chhattisgarh's Raipur.

Besides the two, the CBI has named Aranul SK, Mohammad Golam Mustafa and other unknown persons on charges of misconduct by public servants in the FIR after a Preliminary Enquiry revealed the involvement of officers posted on the India-Bangladesh border in the illegal trade.

After registering the case, the CBI carried out searches at 15 locations in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Punjab on September 23.

According to the CBI FIR, cattle were taken from India to Bangladesh after paying illegal gratification to BSF personnel manning the International Border.

Kumar, during his posting in West Bengal between December 2015 and April 2017, allegedly seized over 20,000 cows before they could be transported to Bangladesh, but the vehicles involved were not seized, the FIR alleged.

The FIR further alleged that the BSF officer in connivance with Customs officials and smugglers auctioned the seized cattle within 24 hours.

"The smugglers named in the case paid money to accused officials. Customs officials also used to take bribe of 10 per cent of the auction price from successful bidders named in the case," the FIR said.

"Bhuvan Bhaskar, son of the BSF officer, was employed in Haque Industries Pvt Ltd, a company promoted by Haque. Bhuvan was paid Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000 as salary per month between May 2017 and December 2017, which reflects his links with the cattle smuggling racket," the CBI said in its FIR.

IANS