Patna: Munger police on Saturday arrested an assistant sub-inspector (ASI), a constable driver and two home guards after uncovering an alleged nexus between cattle smugglers and some of their own personnel. The arrests took the total number of people held in the case to seven, including the alleged liner, truck driver and helper.The arrested personnel have been identified as ASI Ayodhya Kumar, constable driver Vimlesh of the Traffic police station, home guard driver Arvind Yadav of Mufassil police station and constable Abhilesh Kumar of the Traffic police station.The probe is being conducted under the supervision of Munger SP Syed Imran Masood, who said four to five more police personnel are under scrutiny. “We are tracing links to determine how deep the alleged nexus between police personnel and the smuggling network runs,” he said.The case came to light on Aug 6 after Mufassil police received information that cattle were being transported from Munger to Khagaria via NH-333B. A special team comprising personnel from the district intelligence unit (DIU), Mufassil police station and armed police personnel was formed to verify the inputs.During vehicle checks near Shri Krishna Setu, the team apprehended Rakesh Kumar alias Dhanshyam, a resident of Shankarpur under the Mufassil police station area, who was allegedly conducting reconnaissance for the smugglers on a motorcycle. A cellphone and Rs 42,000 in cash were recovered from him.During questioning, Rakesh allegedly identified himself as the liner for the cattle smuggling racket. Based on his disclosures, police intercepted a truck carrying cattle.SP Masood said 35 buffaloes were found crammed into the vehicle, four of them dead. The truck driver, Amit Kumar alias Mantu, and helper Md Ziaul Haq were arrested after failing to provide a satisfactory explanation for transporting the animals. Mobile phones and cash were also seized from them.Subsequent analysis of the liner’s mobile phone, call detail records and other technical evidence allegedly revealed contact with several police personnel posted at Mufassil and Traffic police stations. Investigators suspect smugglers were being assisted in moving vehicles along the route and across district borders.So far, police have seized the truck, motorcycle, seven cellphones, around Rs 47,000 in cash and rescued 35 buffaloes. The role of several other personnel remains under investigation as police seek to determine how long the network was active and whether more officials were involved in the alleged racket.
