Law enforcement recovered 11 live horses and nine slaughtered carcasses from a plot in Rupganj upazila of Narayanganj on Friday morning following claims that horse meat was being sold as beef.
The raid was conducted in the Hararbaria area of Sector 10 within the Purbachal sub-town.
According to SI Harun-or-Rashid, In-charge of the Purbachal Police Outpost, a group of unscrupulous traders had brought 20 horses to the site with the intention of slaughtering them for sale. By the time the authorities arrived, nine of the animals had already been slaughtered.
The matter came to light at dawn on Friday when local residents, sensing suspicious activity, alerted the police via the 999 national helpline. Members of the Purbachal Police Outpost and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) subsequently launched a joint operation.
However, the suspects managed to flee the scene upon sensing the arrival of the law enforcement members, leaving the animals behind.
Commenting on the incident, Md. Sabjel Hossain, the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Rupganj Police Station, stated that they were informed of the seizure made by RAB. He noted that no suspects were apprehended at the site and nothing has been formally handed over to the police yet.
The OC further remarked that there are currently no specific laws regarding the preservation or conservation of horses.
