Police in India have unearthed a cattle rustling racket involving stealing young beasts in luxury hatchbacks.

Authorities in the western state of Gujarrat were alerted by a disturbing video of men forcing a calf inside a small car parked on a street.

Video shows a group of cows being herded on the street beside the vehicle as a cattle duffer keeps lookout.

Moments later he grabs a calf, violently twisting its neck as he opens a rear door of the car.

He then shoves the animal into the back seat of the vehicle before an accomplice drives off.

The video was taken from a CCTV camera outside a residential complex, reports The Times of India .

It was later circulated to a local group of “cow vigalantes” who alerted police officers.

One person has been arrested in connection with the offence and the car seized, reports The Times .

Cattle duffing is a growing problem in India, as an increasingly affluent middle class develop a taste for meat, even the flesh of cows, which are considered sacred in Hinduism.