The Border Security Force (BSF) posted on the India-Bangladesh border intercepted five trucks and seized 240 buffaloes which were allegedly being transported illegally in Jalpaiguri district on Monday.

Fourteen persons, who were on the trucks, have been arrested.

Sources said the BSF had acted on a tip-off and a team of the 40th battalion of the force found suspected movement of heavy trucks on NH31D. They intercepted five trucks at the toll plaza on the highway at Panikauri while those were heading towards Jalpaiguri from Fatapukur.

The trucks were searched and they all had buffaloes. The BSF personnel asked the drivers to produce documents to validate the transportation of the cattle.

When the drivers failed, the trucks were seized.

“Altogether, 240 buffaloes, including eight dead animals, were seized from the trucks which bore registration numbers of Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Bihar. There were 14 persons on the trucks who were also apprehended,” said a source.

Along with the cattle and the vehicles, 14 cellphones and Rs 60,240 in cash were seized from them. The total cost of the seized things, BSF sources said, is Rs 1.26 crore.

Of the 14, seven are from Bihar, five from Uttar Pradesh and two from Assam. Later, they were handed over to Kotwali police station in Jalpaiguri.

“We suspect they had
plans to illegally transport the cattle to somewhere in Assam and then smuggle those into Bangladesh. Investigations have started,” said a police officer.

In recent times, this is one of the major cattle seizures made by the BSF. On January 8, the BSF had seized 23 buffaloes from a truck near Fulbari, Siliguri. Four persons were arrested then.