Dhubri: Two alleged cattle smugglers were arrested at Bilasipara in Assam’s Dhubri district late on Tuesday night, and seven cattle heads were recovered, police said.A vehicle used to transport cattle was seized near Bilasipara Public High School, officials said. The arrested men were identified as Nazrul Sheikh and Abbas Ali, both residents of Dhubri district.
The duo was allegedly taking the cattle to a nearby sandbar when police intercepted the vehicle, a police source said.When contacted by TOI, OC of Bilasipara Police Station said the duo, taking advantage of darkness, attempted to shift the 7 cattle heads to a nearby char, but vigilant police spotted the vehicle and found the cattle inside.Police sources said the cattle were being moved along newer routes from West Bengal into Dhubri district.Transborder cattle smugglers now no longer use the Sagolia interstate border to enter Dhubri district, rather they cross the Srirampur interstate border in Kokrajhar by village roads and reach Fakiragram and drive to any nearby char in Bilasipara areas.“Once the cattle reach the lar located at the proximity of unfenced Indo-Bangladesh international border of Dhubri district, they are pushed inside Bangladesh, mostly at night, where Bangladeshi smugglers wait,” a police source said.Since Jan 2025, as many as 456 cattle heads have been seized and three Bangladeshi nationals were arrested, the source added.
