Guwahati: Four suspected cattle smugglers have been detained after they lodged a fake robbery complaint. Jalukbari police said two others are on the run. The suspects have been identified as Riku Ali, Asif Ahmed, Bijul Ali and Farmud Ali.
The group, travelling with Rs 21 lakh from Meghalaya, initially claimed that two persons dressed as army personnel stopped them, searched them, and snatched the money. However, when police checked the CCTV footage, they saw the suspects willingly handing over the money to men who were not in uniform, the Officer-in-Charge (OC) said.
On being questioned, the group later confessed to illegally selling cattle in Meghalaya and receiving the money from three different locations, the OC added. The investigation is ongoing, and police are searching for the two absconding accomplices.
This incident highlights the challenges faced by law enforcement in curbing cross-border cattle smuggling in the region. The use of fake complaints to mislead authorities is a common tactic employed by smugglers to evade detection.
