Hingoli Police Bust Inter-State Cattle Theft Gang, Two Arrested

Hingoli: The Hingoli district police have busted an inter-state animal theft and smuggling gang and arrested two accused in a major crackdown on rising livestock theft cases. Police said valuables worth around Rs 9.40 lakh have been seized during the operation carried out on Monday night.

The action follows a complaint filed by a resident, Tulsiram Sahu from Savarkarnagar, who reported that his cows were stolen from the Yashwantnagar area on April 9. Based on his complaint, Hingoli City Police registered a case against unknown persons and began an investigation.

Taking serious note of increasing livestock thefts in the district, Superintendent of Police Dr Nilabh Rohan directed the Local Crime Branch to take immediate action. A special team was formed under Police Inspector Mohan Bhosale and led by PSI Madhav Jivhare.

During the probe, police received confidential information about an interstate gang involved in animal thefts operating in the region. Acting on the tip-off, the team laid a trap and arrested two suspects, Altaf Anis Shaikh and Syed Sameer Ahmed.

During interrogation, the accused confessed to stealing livestock from multiple areas, including Hingoli city, Kalamnuri, Sengaon, Akhada Balapur, and nearby regions.

Police said the accused used to sell the stolen animals to butchers and collect money in return. Cash and other materials linked to the crime have been recovered from them.

Further investigation is underway to identify other members of the gang and trace additional cases linked to the accused.