Slaughter of cows and oxen is banned in Jharkhand. Possession and consumption of their meat is also prohibited. (Representational Image)

Jamshedpur/Pakur: Five people, including a couple, were arrested for allegedly carrying beef and smuggling cattle in East Singhbhum and Pakur districts, the police said on Friday.

Acting on a tip-off, a police team on Friday intercepted a couple travelling on a scooter near Tatanagar Railway Station in Jamshedpur and seized 40 kg beef from them, officer in-charge of Bagbera police station Laxman Prasad said.

The accused were identified as Md Shanawaz and his wife Noor Ayesha, residents of Shastri Nagar area, he said.

Slaughter of cows and oxen is banned in Jharkhand. Possession and consumption of their meat is also prohibited.

Meanwhile, three cattle smugglers were arrested and 52 cattle recovered from two different places in Pakur during a joint raid by a Quick Response Team and the district police last night, sources said.

On the basis of a tip-off, a raid was conducted on the orders of Superintendent of Police Shailendra Prasad Burnwal, police sources said, adding that the cattle were meant to be smuggled to the neighbouring state of West Bengal.

The accused were identified as Sadhan Sen, Mustafa Sheikh and Humayun Sheikh. All three are residents of Godda district, the sources said.

Sadhan Sen was engaged in illegal smuggling of cattle and timber, they said.