A businessman of Basirhat in North 24 Parganas is under CBI scanner in connection with running a thriving cattle smuggling racket along the Bangladesh border in West Bengal, a source in the central agency said.
This comes on the heels of arrest of Enamul Haq, the alleged cattle-smuggler, who is thought to be among the kingpins running the show along the border in three districts of Basirhat of North 24 Parganas, Malda and Murshidabad allegedly in cahoots with a host of BSF and customs officers, claimed the source.
The central agency is almost certain that the three districts comprise the entire network of smuggling cartel.
Meanwhile, Haq, who had been arrested recently by the CBI was brought to the city for information of his accomplices.
A highly placed source, close to the agency’s scheme of things, said that a name of a businessman of Basirhat, is the under the central agency’s lens for his alleged involvement in the racket.
This information, the source claimed, was revealed to the sleuths by Haq during the course of interrogation.
According to the CBI, the thriving racket of cattle smuggling was evolved around the cattle confiscated by the BSF and the customs officers.
Then the seized cattle would go under the hammer for auction. The cattle bought through the auction would be sold at a steep price.
On Thursday, the central agency had conducted raids at the Maniktola residence of a real estate dealer Rajan Poddar in connection with the cartel.
Earlier, the agency had filed a criminal case in cattle smuggling racket, which is rampant along the Bangladesh border.