india

Updated: Apr 10, 2016 09:52 IST

Three people were arrested on Friday, after crime branch officials raided a godown in Dharavi, Mumbai, on a tip-off about beef being stored there.

Unit 3 of the Mumbai crime branch seized 6.5 tonnes of beef worth Rs14 lakh from the godown at Ibrahim chawl. A first information report was registered at the Shahunagar police station.

Officials said the meat was packed and ready for export to Vietnam.

“We arrested Shamshad Aazad Kureshi, 28, who owns the godown, Ashrafali Bakareiddin Miya, 60, and Mohmad Sirtaj Kallu Kureshi,27,” said police inspector Sunil Mane, who received the tip-off.

Sources said the owner has allegedly been exporting beef for the past 10 years.

It is illegal in Maharashtra to slaughter cows, bulls and bullocks, or consume and possess the meat, after the state government imposed a ban last year, following the President’s assent to the Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) act.

While the original Act of 1976 banned slaughter of cows, the amendment prohibits slaughter of bulls and bullocks.

The crime branch produced the three accused before a holiday court, which remanded them in police custody for a day.

An FIR against the three was filed under section 5 and section 9 of the Act (prevention of slaughter and possession of flesh of bulls, bullocks; and imprisonment for a term that may extend to five years or a fine of Rs10,000 or both), along with relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.

Officials privy to the investigation said they are trying to find out how the meat was smuggled into the city .