MARGAO: The discovery of over 500kg of decomposing beef at Margao railway station on Sunday has revealed the possibility of a widespread smuggling operation that may have gone unchecked for years.
The seizure, initially triggered by an unbearable stench emanating from parcels labelled as chicken, has exposed a sophisticated network transporting beef from Delhi to Goa under false documentation.
“This wasn’t an isolated incident,” said a police source. “Our findings suggest that similar operations were conducted regularly, with smugglers exploiting gaps in the railway’s parcel inspection system.”
Konkan Railway PI Sunil Gudlar, who led the raid, seized 514.5kg of beef valued at approximately Rs 1.5 lakh. The consignment departed from Delhi’s Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station and was intended for distribution in Goa.
“The operation would have continued undetected if not for the unusually warm weather causing the meat to spoil prematurely,” explained an official familiar with the investigation.
“The stench became so overwhelming that it was impossible to ignore.” med Kengenavar, a Karnataka native residing at Davorlim, has provided investigators with additional leads. Kengenavar’s interrogation revealed details about the network’s operations. “The smugglers were aware that the railway’s parcel service lacked sophisticated inspection technology,” said the police source. Gudlar said that the documentation was falsified to list the contents as chicken, when in reality it was beef being transported across state lines.
Sources said that the recent crackdown on illegal slaughterhouses in Goa created increased demand for beef imported from other states.
Following pressure from Hindu organisations, local authorities have intensified enforcement against unauthorised cattle slaughter, inadvertently driving the market underground.
Police believe this case may be just the tip of the iceberg in a much larger operation spanning multiple states. “We’re following several promising leads,” said Gudlar. “The documentation trail and communication records are helping us map out the entire network.”