Kolkata: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday conducted search operations at five locations in Kolkata in connection with the ongoing probe
into cattle smuggling, officials said. The search operations started in the morning, a CBI spokesperson said.
Raids were also conducted at the office premises and residences of two chartered accountants in the city, he said. On September 23, the agency booked a former commandant of the BSF and three others in connection with cattle smuggling along the India-Bangladesh border.
Earlier, the CBI carried out searches at 13 locations in Kolkata and Murshidabad in West Bengal, Ghaziabad in UP, Amritsar in Punjab and Raipur in Chattishgarh.
The central agency had earlier booked a former commandant of the 36 BSF Battalion (Satish Kumar) and three others, including an alleged illegal cattle-trade kingpin, over rampant cattle-smuggling on the India-Bangladesh border.
A case was also registered against Kumar and the alleged cattle smuggling kingpin Enamul Haque and two others -- Anarul SK and Mohammed Golam Mustafa.
The agency started digging into Haque's alleged illegal activities through a preliminary enquiry in April 2018 to unearth his connections with other government officials who facilitated his nefarious business across the India-Bangladesh border.
During the enquiry, it emerged that cattle smuggling was rampant along the border and is aided by some corrupt officers of the BSF and Customs who were receiving illegal gratification from the smugglers, the officials said. The Border Security Force (BSF) is tasked with guarding the border with Bangladesh.
READ: Cattle smuggling thriving near Indo-Bangladesh border
As part of a deep-rooted nexus between smugglers and some officials of the Customs and the BSF, these cattle were shown on paper as smaller in weight and size and their breeds were also manipulated in records reducing their price during auctions conducted immediately after the seizure.
The CBI alleged Haque, Anarul and Mustafa bought these cattle back at a cheaper rate during the auction conducted by the Customs Department, the officials said.
Besides, the officials of Indian Customs used to take bribe of 10 per cent of the auction price from successful bidders like Haque, Mustafa, Anarul Sheikh etc," the CBI alleged.
The BSF had not raised any grazing charges on the Customs Department for feeding the seized cattle but Rs. 50 per cattle was to be paid by the successful bidders to the officials of the force, the CBI said in the FIR.
It is also alleged that Kumar''s son was employed in a company promoted by Haque where he was paid Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000 per month between May 2017 and December 2017, which reflects upon 'his close relationship with partners of this unholy nexus', the CBI alleged.
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PTI
