A shocking case of large-scale beef smuggling was uncovered last Sunday at Margao railway station in Goa after authorities seized over 500 kg of rotting beef mislabeled as chicken. The foul odor coming from the shipment led to the discovery of what officials believe is part of a long-running, multi-state smuggling operation.
The consignment, which originated from Delhi’s Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station, was meant for distribution in Goa. However, the unusually warm weather caused the meat to spoil faster than expected, exposing the racket.
An Operation Running Undetected for Years
Investigators suspect that this incident is just the tip of the iceberg in an illegal trade that may have been active for several years. The smugglers allegedly took advantage of loopholes in the railway parcel inspection system to transport beef under false documentation.
“This wasn’t an isolated incident,” a police official told The Times of India (TOI). “Our findings suggest that similar consignments have been reaching Goa regularly, without detection.”
The raid, led by Police Inspector Sunil Gudlar of the Konkan Railway police station, resulted in the confiscation of 514.5 kg of beef worth approximately Rs 1.5 lakh. The seizure has now prompted authorities to widen their investigation into how such illegal shipments have managed to bypass security for years.
Following the discovery, Fayaz Ahmed Kengenavar, a Karnataka native residing in Davorlim, Goa, was arrested. His interrogation has provided police with crucial information about the smuggling network’s operations.
How the Racket Worked?
The smuggling racket operated through a sophisticated scheme of document forgery and loopholes in transportation oversight. The smugglers falsified paperwork, falsely declaring the illicit beef as chicken to bypass regulatory scrutiny. Taking advantage of lax inspection procedures in railway parcel services, they managed to transport large quantities of meat undetected. Goa emerged as a crucial distribution hub, where the illegally trafficked beef was processed and supplied to various markets, further complicating law enforcement efforts.
“The smugglers knew that railway parcel services lacked sophisticated scanning equipment. This allowed them to move large shipments without raising suspicion,” a police source revealed.
Authorities are now tracking communication records and financial transactions linked to the racket to uncover the full extent of the network.
Similar Case: West Bengal-Noida Beef Smuggling Racket
The Margao case comes just months after a massive 153-ton beef smuggling operation was busted in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, in November 2024.
In that case, police arrested five individuals, including four Hindus, for illegally exporting cow meat disguised as buffalo meat. The operation was intercepted at the Luharli toll plaza in West Bengal, where a truck carrying beef worth Rs 4 crore was seized.
Those arrested included Shiv Shankar (35) – Truck Driver, Akshay Saxena (34) – Manager, Khushruddin Nabi (59) – Director, Sachin Kumar (24) – Helper and Puran Joshi (51) – Cold Storage Owner in Dadri
The Greater Noida racket had exploited gaps in Uttar Pradesh’s strict laws against cow slaughter to illegally export meat while bypassing inspections.
Authorities on High Alert
With back-to-back revelations of beef smuggling networks operating across multiple states, authorities are stepping up monitoring efforts. Investigations are now focusing on identifying key players, financial backers, and transport routes used in these illegal operations.
Police officials believe that the smuggling networks are well-organized and involve multiple stakeholders, from meat suppliers to logistics handlers and document forgers.
“We are following several strong leads. This case has exposed major loopholes in railway and logistics security, which we are now addressing,” said Inspector Gudlar.
As authorities continue to crack down on such operations, stricter checks and improved security measures in railway parcel services and trucking routes are expected.
