Excise Department on Thursday foiled bovine smuggling bid by rescuing 16 bovines. According to reports, a truck bearing registration No JK02AR-1385 was intercepted by the vigilant staff at Toll Post Lakhanpur while entering into the State. The offending vehicle, which was consigned by ACC Hoshiarpur to Five ARR Stores, Pulwama, was subjected to physical check when it reported at Toll Post Lakhanpur for clearance. As per the documents, the vehicle was carrying cement. The driver of the vehicle fled away alongwith the truck. The Excise staff immediately swung in to action and chased the vehicle, watching the vehicle being chased the driver deserted the truck and ran towards the Nallah but the team chased him and apprehended the driver. The vehicle was taken to Police Post Basanatpur, where after checking it was found loaded with 16 bovines instead of cement. The truck driver namely Faryad Ali, son of Bashir Ahmed, resident of Batra, Jammu was handed over to police for further necessary action under rules. The whole operation was conducted by Excise and Taxation Officers Rohit Sharma and Sandeep Gupta, Inspector Dheeraj Kumar, Sub-Inspectors Milan Gupta, Aaqib Malik, Sahil Choudhary, Kanwaljeet Shan and Darvinder Kumar and Excise Guards Rajesh Kumar and Naveen Sharma and Bharat Sharma, SHO Lakhanpur and his team under the direct supervision of Pardeep Singh Manhas, Deputy Excise Commissioner, Toll Post Lakhanpur. The Excise Commissioner, J&K Government, M Raju appreciated the efforts of the Excise & Police staff in foiling the major bid to smuggle bovine animals and enjoined upon them to work with more zeal and in coordination with other departments/ agencies.
