ADILABAD

In a major crackdown on cattle smuggling, the Neradigonda police arrested six members of an inter-State gang and rescued 44 cattle including bulls and cows in Adilabad district on Friday.

According to the police, the accused allegedly made a bid to mow down toll plaza staff at Rolmamda in Neradigonda mandal after they attempted to stop the speeding vehicles on September 1. They then rammed through the toll gate and fled in a container lorry and another vehicle, police said.  

As part of the investigation, a police team apprehended four memers of the gang during a vehicle check on the outskirts of Kuntala village in the early hours of Friday. Two others were arrested in Adilabad later in the day. The arrested were identified as Md. Shafi Mudassir, 31, of Adilabad, Firdous Baig, 38, Hyder Ali, 21, and Bheemrao Sevatkar, 22, of Nagpur, Sandeep Vittal, 35, of Yavatmal in Maharashtra, and Gopal Singh Shekhawat, 32, of Adilabad.

Police seized four grams of ganja from one of the accused. Of the 47 cattle, including 24 bulls and 23 cows, recovered from the accused, three were found dead in the container lorry, sources said. The gang allegedly operated organised cattle smuggling racket, deploying a car as a pilot vehicle ahead of the container lorry to evade police checks along the highways.