Jalna, Apr 3 Meat worth Rs 4.34 crore seized from three trucks in Jalna on suspicion that it was beef has been confirmed as buffalo meat after analysis by a laboratory in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, a police official said on Friday.
Following this, the consignment comprising 83,988 kilograms of frozen meat was released along with the three trucks, Sub-Divisional Police Officer Anant Kulkarni said.
"The meat was seized on April 1 on a tip-off from right-wing activists and a case was registered at Chandanzira police station under the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act. Three persons, identified as Varanasi residents Shambuprasad Prajapati, Sattyaprakash Gupta, and Virenda Gupta, were held at the time," another official said.
According to police, the trucks were transporting the meat from Parbhani to Mumbai for export. The packets in the consignment had markings in Arabic, indicating that it was likely intended for export to Arab nations.
"We had requested an early report from the laboratory to ensure the meat does not deteriorate. The transporter had valid documents. After verification, the containers were released within 24 hours of receiving the report," SDPO Kulkarni said.
Further action in the case will be taken accordingly, the official added.