Tamarhat/Dhubri: In a major crackdown on cross-border animal trafficking, Dhubri Police intercepted a truck carrying 14 camels in Charaldanga village near Gauripur in the early hours of Saturday. The animals are suspected to have been illegally transported across the Indo-Bangladesh border.
The operation was launched after alert villagers in Charaldanga noticed a large number of camels being unloaded near a local brick kiln and promptly informed the Gauripur Police Station. Acting on the tip-off, a police team rushed to the spot and found the camels abandoned alongside a truck. The driver and suspected smugglers fled the scene under the cover of darkness before the police could apprehend them. While no arrests have been made so far, police have launched an intensive manhunt to trace those involved in the smuggling racket.
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Preliminary investigations point to the involvement of an international smuggling network. Intelligence inputs suggest that the traffickers had planned to transport the camels from Charaldanga via Alomganj, crossing into Bangladesh through a vulnerable stretch of the border. Authorities confirmed that the truck—bearing registration number UP-17BT-5719—lacked transit passes and fitness certificates for the animals, further confirming the illegal nature of the transport.
Officials described the seizure as part of a worrying new trend in animal trafficking in Assam’s border districts, where smugglers are now moving beyond cattle to traffic camels to meet rising demand in neighboring countries.
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The seized camels have been placed under the custody of Gauripur Police, and steps are being taken to ensure their proper care and relocation. Police have confirmed that a detailed investigation is underway to uncover the full extent of the network and have assured stringent action against all those involved in the illegal operation.
