Jammu: Police foiled three separate bovine smuggling bids in Kathua district, rescuing 49 cattle and seizing three trucks allegedly used for transporting them, officials said on Thursday.
In all the incidents, the trucks were heading from Punjab and the alleged smugglers managed to escape.
In the first incident, a police team intercepted a truck at the dispatch point in Lakhanpur during a naka and check on Thursday, officials said.
During checking, police found 17 cattle loaded in the vehicle in an inhumane manner and rescued them, besides seizing the truck, while its driver escaped from the spot, they said.
A case under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act was registered at Police Station Lakhanpur, the officials said.
In the other two incidents, police on Wednesday intercepted two trucks at Hatli Morh and Sawan Chak areas of Kathua.
At Hatli Morh, the driver of the truck stopped the vehicle a few metres before the naka point and fled.
During checking, 17 cattle were found loaded in the truck and rescued. The vehicle was seized, and a case was registered at Police Station Kathua, police said.
At Sawan Chak, the truck driver also fled after stopping the vehicle a few metres away from the naka point.
Fifteen cattle were found loaded in the truck and rescued, while the vehicle was seized. A case was registered at Police Station Kathua, they said.
Further investigation is underway.