2 more beef smugglers held on UP-Delhi border after gunfight

NOIDA : Two suspected beef smugglers from western Uttar Pradesh were arrested near the Delhi border after a gunfight with the Noida police on Thursday morning, officials said.

This was the third incident of a gunfight between police and suspected beef smugglers since Tuesday, when four men were arrested and around 1,500 kg of the banned bovine meat was recovered in the city.

Deputy commissioner of police (central Noida) Harish Chander said the Phase 3 police station officials had got a tip-off about the movement of suspected cow- slaughterers through the National Highway 24 on Thursday morning.

“Accordingly police checks were set up and one Eicher Canter truck was intercepted for inquiry. However, its driver instead of stopping sped away the vehicle towards the Hindon pusta. The truck was intercepted by the police near Garhi Chaukhandi village,” he said.

“A gunfight ensued between the two sides and the accused duo got injured in retaliatory firing by the police. They were taken to hospital for treatment,” Chander said.

Those held have been identified as Hassan and Farhan, from Sambhal district in western UP, the officer said, adding the duo has been involved in beef smuggling and their associates have been arrested in the past.

The police said they have seized two illegal firearms along with some ammunition and tools used in cow slaughter from the duo’s possession while the truck has also been impounded.

An FIR is being lodged in the case at the Phase 3 police station and further legal proceedings are being carried out, the officials said.

On Wednesday morning, the Noida police had arrested two suspected cow slaughterers after they got injured in a gunfight in Sector 68, under the Phase 3 police station limits. On Tuesday, the police had arrested four men near the Sector 62 roundabout, close to the DelhiMeerut Expressway, after around 1,500 kg of beef was recovered from their two vehicles, according to officials.