In a shocking bid to avoid highway inspections, cattle smugglers in Odisha attempted to transport livestock using an empty oil tanker.

The Bangiriposi police successfully disrupted this scheme on National Highway 49 in the Mayurbhanj district, rescuing over 20 cattle confined within the altered tanker.

The event transpired when locals observed the oil tanker driving erratically along the highway from Bisoi toward Kalabadia. Concerned by the vehicle’s reckless behavior and strange movements, the vigilant residents quickly notified the authorities.

Responding swiftly to the alert, officers from the Bangiriposi Police Station established a roadblock close to the Punasia Railway Overbridge. Upon stopping the vehicle and conducting a detailed search, they found more than 20 cattle crammed inside the tanker’s compartment, disguised as fuel cargo.

All the animals were safely rescued from the perilous conditions within the tanker. The driver and his assistant were apprehended on-site and taken into custody for further investigation.

A case has been filed under the applicable sections of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and associated laws. Investigators are currently looking into where the cattle originated, their intended destination, and the larger network involved in this illegal smuggling operation.