Mumbai: Six people were arrested for allegedly stealing cows in Thane, slaughtering them and then selling the meat in the State and outside. According to the Thane Police, the racket was busted by the Crime Branch’s Unit-1 on February 27, based on a tip-off that a gang of rustlers would be coming to a spot near Kalsekar Hospital in Mumbra.
A police team laid a trap and intercepted four accused, identified as Asif Qureshi (24), Monis Qureshi (20), Irfan Mulla (35) and Fazal Qureshi (22), who had arrived in a jeep. A search of the vehicle revealed syringes with animal tranquilisers.
A Crime Branch officer involved in the operation said, “During questioning, the accused said they had stolen two Jersey cows from a shed in Wagle Estate on February 26. They tranquilised them and delivered them to their accomplices in Kalyan.” The accomplices, identified as Laeek Qureshi (32) and Shafiq Qureshi (32), were subsequently picked up. Police claim they confessed to slaughtering the cows at a secluded spot in Badlapur and selling the meat.
The officer added, “We are still gathering information on the buyers. Preliminary inquiries indicate the racket has been active for one-and-a-half years. During this period, the accused have stolen and slaughtered several cows in Thane district. Their customers are based in Maharashtra and other States. We’re in the process of identifying them.”
The accused have been charged under the Maharashtra Wildlife Protection Act. They were produced in a local court, which remanded them in police custody till March 6.
