Cow meat smuggling racket busted, 5 arrested

Greater Noida: Five people were arrested on Sunday for allegedly bringing cow meat from West Bengal and exporting it as buffalo meat, said officers, adding that 153 tons of packed-meat worth ₹4 crore was seized and later destroyed.

Police identified the suspects as Puran Joshi, 51, cold storage’s owner; Khushruddin Nabi, 59, director; Akshay Saxena, 34, manager; Shiv Shankar, 35, truck driver; and Sachin Kumar, 24, the helper.

“The meat was stored (at a cold storage) under the fake brand of buffalo meat, and we are gathering details on how much meat was transported in last few months,” said Amit Pratap Singh, assistant commissioner of police, Greater Noida, adding that the cold storage has been operating since May and has all the valid licenses.

The gang was busted after Sumit Sharma, a Ghaziabad-based district president of Gau Raksha Samiti, alerted police on November 9. “We had information that cow meat was being transported and stored at a cold storage in Greater Noida. We alerted police on November 9 and reached Luharli toll plaza. The driver said that he was coming from West Bengal and was expected to deliver the meat to a cold storage in Dadri, Greater Noida,” said complainant Sharma.

Police took help of a veterinary doctor to collect meat samples and sent them for a forensic report to Mathura. “On Saturday, the laboratory reports were received, and it was revealed that meat belongs to cow,” said Ashok Kumar, additional deputy commissioner of police, Greater Noida.

To be sure, Uttar Pradesh Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 1955 prohibits the slaughter of cows and their progeny in the state.

Following the forensic reports, police destroyed the meat and sealed the cold storage.

Police have registered a case under Section 325 (mischief by killing or maiming animal), 61(2) (criminal conspiracy), 318(4) (Cheating), 328(4) (Punishment for intentionally running vessel aground or ashore with intent to commit theft) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Cow slaughtering Act at Dadri police station and a further probe is underway, said police.