‘Pushpa’-Style Cattle Smuggling Busted In Kendrapara’s Aul Block; 10 Cows Rescued
Acting on a tip-off, Aul police in Kendrapara, Odisha, foiled a cattle smuggling bid, rescuing 10 cows and registering a case against the accused.
Published : October 4, 2025 at 10:07 PM IST
By Radhakanta Mohanty
Kendrapara: In a midnight operation, Aul police in Kendrapara district busted an illegal cattle smuggling racket which was operating in Bollywood film Pushpa-style. Acting on a tip-off from a reliable source, police seized a fake petrol tanker loaded with cattle on the Cuttack–Chandbali road near the Kharasrota River bridge.
According to police sources, the tanker was intercepted in the wee hours of Saturday when it was heading towards Rajkanika. On seeing the police, the driver fled leaving the vehicle at the same spot. Upon inspection, 10 cows were found hidden inside the deceptive petrol tanker. The vehicle has been seized and detained at the Aul police station, and a case registered under Section 313/25.
Aul police station IIC Dhiraj Lenka corroborated that they have busted a cow trafficking racket on Saturday early in the morning and intensified patrolling. “Around 3 am, our team stopped a petrol tanker heading towards Rajkanika. The driver fled the vehicle, and during checking, 10 cows were found inside. We suspect the cattle are of high-quality breeds stolen by organised mafias. The cows will be handed over to the Pattamundai Gorakshni on Sunday. The cow smugglers are operating very cleverly, but we are keeping a close watch,” the official stated.
This is not the first such incident in the area. A few months ago, Aul police had seized two vehicles, the first one was a courier container and another a cheese carrying truck, which were being used for illegal cattle transport. Around 33 cows were rescued from both carriers jointly by police and with the Aul Dharma Rakshak Sena.
Locals across several villages under Aul police limits have long been complaining about cattle mafias operating actively in the region. Following the latest rescue of cows, residents and members from across many communities have praised the role of the police.
An animal activist working on rescuing cows, Kalinga Senapati said, “The cow mafia has been active in the Aul area. Earlier, we had caught three vehicles and handed them to the police. The smugglers are learning tricks from Bollywood movies like Pushpa, in which red sandalwood logs were being transported in milk tankers.” He expressed hope that if regular checking is done, the mafia will be cut to size.
Locals have called for continued, strict vigilance and stronger action against organised smuggling networks.
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