Dhow mystery: Five goats from Yusufi operated upon,‘polythene’ pieces found

Mumbai Police had X-rayed all 32 goats and tagged five for surgery on Tuesday. But they had to start all over again as the tags fell off.

The goats were X-rayed at Parel Veterinary Hospital on April 16 and 17 and after signs of presence of foreign objects were found in five,these were tagged.

A number of goats are carrying diseases and five died of suspected pneumonia.

“They had heavy nasal discharge and were unable to adapt to the weather,” said an officer from Yellow Gate police station.

On Monday,the police found the tags around the goats’ necks missing.

“The goats were kept together at Bhaucha Dhakka and played with each other. The tags somehow came off and we were not able to distinguish the tagged goats from the rest. We had to X-ray them again on Tuesday,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Port zone) Tanaji Ghadge.

“In the fresh X-rays,too,signs of presence of foreign objects were found in at least five goats. We took extra precaution and separated them,” he said.

The five goats were colour-coded,” Ghadge said.

The goats,part of the dhow’s cargo that also included 450 crates of cigarette and cellphone parts,were seized when the boat was intercepted by Coast Guard on April 3 after they picked up a conversation the crew was having on a Thuraya satellite phone,police said.

The animals,which are reportedly worth Rs 40,000,were being shipped from Dubai to Sri Lanka,as per the dhow’s manifest.

“In Dubai,they are only worth Rs 200 in Indian currency,so imagine the profit margin. While importing or exporting livestock,one is supposed to obtain an animal quarantine certificate,which the dhow’s handler Usman Ghanchi did not have,” said Ghadge.

Mix-up before surgery

32 goats were X-rayed at Parel Veterinary Hospital on April 16 and 17,and after signs of presence of foreign objects were found in five,they were tagged for surgery

Tuesday

Some of the goats are carrying diseases and five died of suspected pneumonia,police said

“The goats were kept together. The tags somehow came off and we were not able to distinguish the tagged goats from the rest,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Port zone) Tanaji Ghadge

The goats were seized when the boat was intercepted by Coast Guard on April 3