Smugglers stuffed 25 cows into oil tanker

In a bid to outsmart policemen, cattle smugglers in India have been devising newer ways of transport. Police last week seized an oil tanker into which 25 cows had been stuffed.

Policemen at the Katra police station in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh, received a message on Monday that an oil tanker had jumped a road barrier and struck a jeep. The police team immediately cordoned off the area and signalled to the driver to stop. Officers said the driver and cleaner of the tanker fled on seeing them.



On inspecting the vehicle, policemen found an opening in the rear. Usually, such vehicles only have a cap on the upper portion. When policemen opened the lid on the rear of the vehicle, they found 25 cows packed inside. The cows were taken to the local veterinary hospital.

Superintendant of Police Rakesh Chandra Sahu of Shahjahanpur said: "The cattle smugglers had created an opening in the rear of the tanker through which they stuffed the cows in after injecting them with sedatives. We have lodged a report under the Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act against unidentified people. We are trying to trace the owner of the tanker."