Chainpur police on Tuesday night arrested three cattle smugglers and rescued 20 cattle, including cows, calves and two oxen at Shahpur here. Police seized the cattle-laden vehicle and sent the arrested trio to Central Jail in Daltonganj.

The trio –Sharif, Nazir and Bholu Qureshi—have been booked under sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Jharkhand Bovine Animal Prohibition of Slaughter Act.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sandip Gupta said that a team headed by Palamu SP Ajay Linda intercepted the vehicle near Koyal bridge at Shahpur on Tuesday night.Gupta said that a wide network of cattle smugglers was active in the area and the police were taking necessary steps to bust the racket.Sources said the 20 cattle were rescued from a road in Daltonganj which has connectivity with Ranchi, Bihar and GT road. Police said the rescued cattle have been handed over to chowkidars for its distribution among the able locals there.

The BJP in Jharkhand led by former chief minister Arjun Munda brought in the Prevention of Cow Slaughter Ordinance in 2005 which was later made an Act. It carried a penalty of Rs 5,000 and imprisonment of up to five years or both for offenders. Anti-beef sale and cow slaughter initiatives, by the stateas well as independent right-wing bodies, have been on the rise in Jharkhandsince late 2014.

A group of right-wing outfits including the Vishwa HinduParishad (VHP) launched their first helpline number in Jharkhand in November2015 which served the purpose of registering complaints about illegal beef saleand cow slaughter across the state. VHP workers claimed that over a hundredcomplaints regarding beef sale and cow slaughter have been registered throughthe helpline in past one year.

Sources said that providing space, food, water and safety to rescued cattle is a major challenge. SP Palamu Ajay Linda said, “Our drive against cattle smuggling is a perpetual effort and there will be no complacency from our end.”

Linda added that the police have identified routes which are used for smuggling cattle. Road patrolling and vigil will be further intensified to keep a watch on cattle smugglers, he said.

Sources said areas under Harihurganj, Pipra, Chhaterpur and Naudeeha Bazar police stations are infamous for cattle smuggling.