116 bovines rescued, 3 held for smuggling in J-K

Three persons were today arrested for allegedly smuggling 116 bovines in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, the police said.
On a specific information, a police team set up a check post near Churung Bridge in Thanamandi belt of the district, they said.
As the smugglers came to know about the police check post, they made the animals to disembark the vehicles and tried to take them on foot, a police officer said.
Some of the accused persons were arrested after a chase While some of them fled and started pelting stones on the police party taking advantage of the darkness, he said.

As additional force reached the spot, the accused escaped while few were nabbed by the police.
"While three persons have been arrested, search is on for rest of the bovine smugglers," he said.

Police also rescued the 116 bovines and seized 16 vehicles of the accused, the officer said, adding the accused were smuggling the bovines to Kashmir region.
A case has been registered in the matter and an investigation is underway, he said.
Since the blanket ban on the movement of livestock imposed by the district administration, the bovine smugglers adopted a new strategy of smuggling the animals by foot and loading them in vehicles after crossing a particular check post, the police officer said.

In the recent past many such illegal bovine smuggling attempts were foiled at Thanamandi, he added.