Drivers, smugglers booked for assaulting cops

STATE TIMES NEWS

RAJOURI: Police on Sunday foiled a major bovine smuggling attempt by rescuing 61 bovine animals from four trucks in Rajouri District.

Three of the four arrested truck drivers were booked for assaulting the cops while trying to flee the police dragnet, a police spokesman said.

A police team signalled some trucks to stop at Bakhar Police Check Point on Rajouri-Jammu highway late last night but the drivers of three trucks did not care for the lives of cops while breaking the check point, the spokesman said.

He said the cops chased the trucks and managed to intercept them but the drivers used force against cops and assaulted them.

Reinforcements were rushed and the trucks were stopped at Gam village on the highway but the drivers fled leaving their trucks behind, the spokesman said adding the vehicles were seized and all the bovine animals rescued.

He said drivers of all the three trucks were arrested and have been booked for bovine smuggling and assaulting the cops.

Police is also going to take action against the owners of these trucks found indulged in bovine smuggling and whose drivers assaulted cops and broke police check point, the spokesman said.

He said another truck was intercepted at Lamberi Police Post and bovines were rescued from it and a case has been registered.

The seized trucks are having registration  numbers JK02AJ 4071, JK02AC 1611,  JK02AE 3657 and JKO2T-7660.

A total of 61 bovines were rescued from the four trucks during the night long operation, the spokesman said.