PATNA: Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) members with the help of local police rescued 87 cattleheads from three trucks and a pickup van from Mirganj and
Baisi in
Purnia district while they were being allegedly smuggled to
West Bengal on Monday night.
Police said five dead bulls were also recovered from the trucks. The cattleheads were bought from the weekly animal fair at
Banmankhi in the district on Monday.
Two separate FIRs were lodged with the Mirganj and Baisi police stations in this connection.
Mirganj police station SHO Menka Rai told TOI over the phone on Tuesday the seized trucks bore registration numbers of West Bengal. “The truck drivers fled from the spot,” Rai said.
AWBI member
Neeru Gupta said the cattleheads were meant to be smuggled to Bangladesh for slaughtering.