Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
Luxury and high-end four-wheelers are increasingly being used for illegal meat smuggling in the Waluj area. Within just 15 days, police have carried out a second major crackdown, seizing beef and a vehicle worth Rs 5.5 lakh during an early-morning operation on Wednesday.
Acting on confidential information received through Dial 112 on December 17, police intercepted a white Innova car (MH-04-DW-5204) near the Waluj toll plaza around 5.30 am while it was coming from the Ahilyanagar side. On spotting the police, the driver attempted to flee by taking a sudden U-turn. After a brief chase, the vehicle was stopped; however, the driver abandoned the car and escaped. During inspection, police found around 500 kg of beef packed in black tarpaulin inside the vehicle. Sajid Syed (40,Mamdapur in Rahata tehsil of Ahilyanagar), was detained on the spot. Further investigation revealed that the vehicle belongs to Atiq Qureshi, also a resident of Mamdapur, while the absconding driver has been identified as Juned from Shrirampur in Ahilyanagar district. Veterinary officials later confirmed that the seized meat was beef, and samples have been sent for DNA testing. Police seized beef worth approximately Rs 1.5 lakh and the Innova car valued at Rs 4 lakh, taking the total seizure to Rs 5.5 lakh. A case has been registered against Juned, Sajid Sayyed, and vehicle owner Atiq Qureshi.
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Luxury vehicles used to avoid suspicion:
Police said smuggling gangs are increasingly using expensive family cars such as Innova and Scorpio to evade suspicion, as these vehicles are commonly associated with routine family travel.
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Two major actions in a fortnight:
This is the second major action against meat smuggling in just 15 days. On December 2, Waluj police had seized goods worth Rs 7.4 lakh in a similar operation. Repeated incidents within a short span have raised concerns about an organised meat-smuggling network operating in the area.