In a bizarre attempt to smuggle cattle into Bangladesh, smugglers crammed two live cattle into the back of two Altos but were nabbed by troops of the 172nd Battalion of the Border Security Force (BSF) Meghalaya today.
The seizure was made in East Jaintia Hills. The two vehicles were intercepted by the BSF at Sonapur bridge. On being signalled to stop, the drivers instead sped away towards Umkiang.
The BSF caught up with them but by then the smugglers had fled, abandoning the cars and the cattle.
The seized cattle were found in an extremely pitiable condition, the border force said in a press release today. The seized cattle and vehicles were handed over to Umkiang police for further legal action.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, the 193rd and 4th Battalions of the BSF yesterday seized clothing items worth approximately Rs 22 lakh near the international border in East Khasi Hills.
Here too, the smugglers fled the area after being challenged by the BSF. The seized items were handed over to Customs officials for further action.