Pakur forest dept rescues 15 camels

EARLIER ON JAN 12, OFFICIALS HAD SEIZED A TRUCK CONTAINING 14 CAMELS IN PAKUR

RANCHI: Jharkhand’s Pakur division has once again rescued 15 camels allegedly being transported from Haryana to Malda in West Bengal, from where they would have been reportedly sent to Bangladesh, in the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday, officials said.

Besides, a total of nine persons, including three people who were travelling in the camelladen vehicle, while six other persons who had come to bribe the forest officials, were apprehended in the case, officials said.

Divisional forest officer Pakur, Rajnish Kumar said, “Fifteen camels were rescued in the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday. Now, we have a bigger challenge to keep these animals, as we neither have a dedicated shelter for these animals nor any trained person to handle them.”

Forest range officer, Pakur, Anil Kumar Singh said, “I received a tip-off about illegal transportation of camels around midnight, following which a team rushed to the spot and rescued the animals.”

The apprehended persons included the vehicle’s driver, his helper and a worker, who was also travelling. “During investigation, they said the vehicle transporting the camels had left from Haryana. The driver and helper, who drove the vehicle from Haryana, got down at Fatehpur Sikri in Uttar Pradesh and handed over the vehicle to another driver and helper. The driver said his duty was to take the vehicle to Malda in West Bengal,” Singh said.

“In the wee hours of Wednesday, I received a call requesting me to let go of the vehicle in lieu of money. Six persons came to bribe me and offered ₹20,000. We apprehended all of them and seized their car and bribe amount. Process of lodging an FIR is on, ” he said.

This was the second time that several camels were rescued in a month.

Earlier January 12, the forest division had seized a truck containing 14 camels.