Pune Rural Police intercepted a container carrying 29,000 kilograms of beef en route from Hyderabad to Mumbai on the Pune-Solapur National Highway on Sunday (August 18) night.
The vehicle was seized near a roadside eatery in Khadki, Daund taluka, after a tip-off led police to the scene. The total value of the confiscated goods, including the beef and the container, is estimated at ₹59.2 lakh.
The container, an 18-wheeler with a load capacity of 28.80 tons, was found to be transporting over 29 tons of beef. This included 25,000 kilograms of beef from cows and other animals, along with 4,000 kilograms of buffalo meat. The market value for the beef was calculated at ₹47.2 lakh, while the container itself was valued at ₹12 lakh.
The operation was launched after Akshay Rajendra Kanchan, a local Gau Rakshak (cow protector), alerted the Daund police upon learning that the container had passed through Bhigwan.
The police, in collaboration with Kanchan, tracked the vehicle to a location near Akanksha Dhaba in Khadki, where the driver admitted to transporting beef.
The driver, identified as Chandrakant Dattu Salunkhe, a resident of Khanda Colony in Panvel, Raigad, originally from Solapur district, has been arrested. He faces charges under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act, as well as the Animal Transport Act.
This operation was conducted under the supervision of Pune Rural Police Superintendent Pankaj Deshmukh, with additional oversight from ASP Ramesh Chopde and Daund SDPO Annasaheb Gholap.
The investigation team included Police Inspector Santosh Doke and Assistant Police Inspector Tukaram Rathod.