UP cattle smuggling probe uncovers Rs 100 crore multi-state crime network
An arrest in an alleged cattle smuggling case has led police in Uttar Pradesh to uncover what they suspect is a multi-state organised crime network
An arrest in an alleged cattle smuggling case has led police in Uttar Pradesh to uncover what they suspect is a multi-state organised crime network with a financial trail of nearly Rs 80-100 crore across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. Officials said 11 accused have been arrested so far. Police said the case, first registered under the Uttar Pradesh Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, widened during the investigation into an alleged network with separate modules for cattle transportation, financial transactions, collection centres and distribution of proceeds. The latest arrest, they said, helped investigators piece together a much larger operation. Read Full Story Superintendent of Police Abhishek Verma said the investigation revealed that illegal cattle smuggling was allegedly being carried out through an organised network. "The investigation found that money generated through the alleged smuggling racket was routed through multiple individuals and commercial accounts in a layered manner to conceal its origin and the identities of the ultimate beneficiaries," he said.
Verma said analysis of more than 25 bank accounts has so far brought transactions worth nearly Rs 80-100 crore under scrutiny, while examination of additional linked accounts is still underway. He said the financial trail emerged after investigators carried out a detailed analysis of bank accounts following the earlier arrest of accused Rishu Yadav, also known as Vikas Yadav. "The probe indicated that proceeds from the alleged smuggling operation were not transferred directly to beneficiaries but circulated through multiple accounts before reaching them, suggesting a deliberate attempt at financial layering to conceal the money's source and beneficiaries," he said. The SP said the investigation found that a substantial part of the cash used in the racket was deposited in the Pandua and Memari areas of West Bengal. According to him, Raja Qureshi allegedly deposited cash, mostly in tranches of Rs 49,000 and Rs 99,000, into several accounts. The money was then routed through multiple bank accounts, including those linked to people in Bihar, before being withdrawn through ATM and UPI transactions and distributed among local operatives allegedly involved in the smuggling network.
Investigators also found that Common Service Centre accounts were allegedly used to route high-value transactions, making them appear as legitimate financial activity before the funds were transferred to personal accounts or withdrawn in cash, Verma said. He said a joint team of Sonbhadra Police and the surveillance unit arrested Raja Qureshi alias Hasin Qureshi, 32, a resident of Balihatta village under Pandua police station in West Bengal's Hooghly district, who was wanted in the case. He was brought to Uttar Pradesh on transit remand and produced before a court on Monday. Police said the arrest was part of a series of arrests made during the investigation and helped them unravel a larger criminal network that went beyond illegal cattle transportation. "What initially appeared to be a cattle smuggling case has, during investigation, revealed an organised network with separate modules handling transportation, financial transactions, collection centres and distribution of proceeds," a senior police officer said. Investigators have also mapped the alleged smuggling route.
The BriefWire