BARIPADA: As many as 15 bulls, being transported on two-pickup vans outside the district, were rescued by Baisinga and Krushnachandrapur police from NH-18 on Saturday.
Three persons were arrested in this connection.
The accused are Laxmidhar Behera from a locality within Baisinga police limits, Satyabrata Mohapatra from Khunta police limits and Suryakanta Rout of Kadalia village in Khurda district.
Sources said a few residents of Baisinga saw the vehicles laden with the cattle early in the morning. They asked the drivers where they were headed and as the latter could not furnish a satisfactory reply, the villagers informed Baisinga police.
Before the police could reach the spot, one of the vehicles had left for Baripada and was intercepted enroute by Krushnachandrapur police.
Baisinga IIC in-charge Ashok Kumar Nayak said as per preliminary investigation, it seems the cattle were being taken for sale to Balijoda market.