Imphal: The Manipur government has reportedly imposed a ban on the import of cattle from Myanmar, following reports of drug smuggling hidden inside the animals and the death of a cow in the southern part of the state.
Ranjan Yumnam, the district magistrate of Tengnoupal district in Manipur, bordering Myanmar on the south, has imposed a blanket ban on the import of cattle from Myanmar into the state.
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Suspicions of drug smuggling inside cows have been on the radar of law enforcement agencies along the porous Indo-Myanmar border, particularly at the international border in Moreh, Manipur. Although Indo-Myanmar border trade at Moreh has come to a halt since March 10, 2021, smuggling of items including drugs and cattle continues along the border.
The directorate of veterinary and animal husbandry has confirmed that the black quarter (BQ) was responsible for the death of a cow at Wangoo Sandangkhong, Kakching district on Monday.
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The state government has taken various measures, including vaccination drives against black quarter (BQ) and Hemorrhagic Septicemia (HS), and restrictions on the import of cattle, in order to mitigate the menace.