CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu police busted an inter-state illegal cattle trafficking consignment and rescued 43 bullocks packed in two specially customised container trucks late on Sunday night. The head of cattle was allegedly sourced from a shandy in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, and was taken to Kerala for illegal slaughter.
Based on a tip-off, Chengalpattu SP dispatched a team to intercept the trucks at the local toll plaza. Initially, the drivers claimed that the vehicles were transporting plantain leaves. However, upon inspection, police found 43 bullocks and two buffalo calves in a shocking condition. The trucks had been customised with electric lighting, shelves and removable open top, showing that they are regularly used for cattle trafficking.
Complainant M Vignesh, founder of Almighty Animal Care Trust, said cut green chillies were found inside the eyes of the animals, an inhumane practice adopted by traffickers to keep the cattle heads in standing position for longer periods to pack maximum number of animals in limited space.
“Cattle traffickers use horrible methods to make the animals stand like this for two days as the trucks start from Odisha or Andhra Pradesh and reach Kerala crossing Tamil Nadu. One such method is putting green chillies in the eyes and private parts of the animals. Other methods include pouring one or two litres of water into the nose of a cow or buffalo so that the animal stands for long hours out of suffocation. They also insert broken glass bottles into the anus of the animals,” Vignesh said.
In Tamil Nadu, animal slaughter is allowed based on ‘fit-for-slaughter’ certificates. This is issued if an animal is over 10 years of age and unfit for work and breeding or has become permanently incapacitated due to injury, deformity or incurable disease. But, Vignesh said all rescued animals were healthy and in working condition. Sources said a few political leaders in Tamil Nadu are also involved in the illegal trade.
A case was registered by the Chengalpattu taluk police. While the police granted station bail to the drivers, the trucks were seized and the animals were sent to a Tamil Nadu Animal Welfare Board recognised shelter in Tiruvallur on the insistence of TNAWB member Shruti Vinodh Raj.