₹70 Lakh Cash, Gold Seized in Raid on Cattle Smuggler’s House in Bhadrak

Bhadrak: In a major crackdown on illegal cattle smuggling, Keonjhar Police on Saturday seized cash and valuables worth around ₹70 lakh during a late-night raid at the house of a notorious smuggler in Bhadrak district.

The raid was conducted at the residence of Tajuddin alias Sheikh Rajan at Mullasahi under Puruna Bazaar police station limits, with assistance from Bhadrak Police. According to officials, the search operation was still underway at the time of filing this report, and the value of seized assets is likely to increase.

Police recovered a large amount of cash along with gold and silver jewellery during the raid. Two Scorpio vehicles parked outside the house were also taken up for verification.

Rajan, a known cattle smuggler, has more than 10 criminal cases registered against him in various police stations across Keonjhar district for illegal cow smuggling. Acting on multiple complaints, Keonjhar Police obtained search warrants from the court and launched coordinated raids on his properties.

The operation is being led by Keonjhar Sadar Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Sudarshan Gangoi, with two platoons of force and around 10 police officers deployed on the ground. The action is part of a larger statewide operation, with as many as 47 teams conducting raids simultaneously across four districts.

Speaking to the media, SDPO Gangoi said police received specific inputs against Rajan, which led to the searches and seizure of substantial cash and precious metals.

Keonjhar Town Police Inspector-in-Charge Srikant Sahu said multiple cases have already been registered against Rajan and other cattle smugglers at the Town Police Station. “So far, we have seized around ₹50 lakh in cash. Goldsmiths are assessing the gold and silver jewellery, while junior engineers are evaluating the total value of his assets,” he said.

Police are also preparing to raid a market complex named Cosmo Bazaar and a nursing school, both allegedly owned by Rajan, located near the Bhadrak Bypass Road. Authorities said further details will be shared once the search operations are completed.