CBI arrests West Bengal-based cattle smuggling ring leader in Delhi

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday (November 6) arrested the suspected kingpin of a cattle smuggling racket in connection with an ongoing probe.

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday (November 6) arrested Enamul Haque, the alleged leader of a cattle smuggling racket operating at the India-Bangladesh border. 

Muhammad Enamuel Haque, based in West Bengal, was arrested in Delhi. He was booked along with a BSF official for allegedly running the cattle smuggling gang. An official said, “Haque was the first to be arrested in the case and many more were in the pipeline.”

The agency had conducted raids at 15 places in several cities, including Delhi, Kolkata, Siliguri, Murshidabad, Ghaziabad, Amritsar and Raipur on Thursday (November 5) after filing a case against BSF Commandant Satish Kumar of the 36 BSF Battalion and traders Anarul SK, Mohammad Golam Mostafa, and Haque.

According to sources, a strong nexus worked to carry out cattle smuggling. In January 2018, the CBI arrested BSF commandant Jibu Mathew at the Alappuzha railway station and found Rs 47 lakh cash on him. The money was found to be disproportionate to his income, and during interrogation, Haque’s name cropped up.

The businessman was arrested and later released on bail.

According to sources, Haque’s net worth is at least Rs 1,000 crore. He owns properties in Lalgola and Raghunathganj in Murshidabad district, Kolkata and Dubai. He started with money exchange and gradually shifted to cattle smuggling. He is suspected to have been playing a major role in transborder cattle smuggling operations for many years.