Cattle Smugglers Tighten Grip On Auction Bazaar In Meghalaya

Staff Correspondent

Shillong: The intensity of cattle smuggling along Meghalaya’s‘ stretch of the Indo- Bangladesh border has reached such an extent that cattle heads that have been auctioned by the Customs Department were seized on at least three different occasions. This was disclosed by a senior Central Customs official based in Shillong on Wednesday besides stating that there is a huge demand of cattle from Bangladesh.

While the Customs is no more in the loop to dispose the seized cattle made by the BSF along the international border, the stunning observation by the senior official assumes significance in view of the strike carried out by the Khasi Jaintia Butchers Association (KJBA) for the past one week.

The KJBA strike is in protest against the rampant smuggling of oxen procured by the smugglers from the Khanapara market that has left the domestic market high and dry.

Amidst the strike, that left the beef stalls in the State to shut shop, the Custom official said, “The smugglers in different guise buy the cattle heads at the same rate and smuggle them to Bangladesh at triple the rate”. Such is the demand that we have come across the same ox being auctioned on three occasions”, stated the official while pointing out that the smugglers through their proxies bid for the cattle during the auctioning process.

These oxen on being seized along the border are being marked by the BSF before being handed to the Customs Department for auctioning. According to him, there is no stopping anyone who bid for the cattle heads in the domestic market.

Another source said this is a routine process where the same ox or cows are being bought by the smugglers through their stooges, thereby making the Custom officials difficult to blacklist the suspected smugglers. However, of late, due to the Supreme Court order, the seized cattle heads have been brought under the purview of the Prevention of Animal Cruelty Act. Any seized item have to be handed to the State Police and should be handed to a ‘Gaushala’. Interestingly, Meghalaya has only one ‘Gaushala’ with little amenities in store.

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