Police Bust Illegal Slaughterhouse Near Navi Mumbai Airport Runway in Ulwe
The Ulwe Police raided an illegal slaughterhouse operating near Radcliffe School in Sector 20, Ulwe, on June 25, booking the owner for conducting unauthorized animal slaughter within the restricted aviation zone of the Navi Mumbai International Airport. The raid, which took place at approximately 10:15 PM, was launched following a complaint about the facility's proximity to the airport, which poses a severe bird-strike hazard to flights.
The unauthorized operations were being conducted at the A-One Mutton Shop, situated just two to three kilometers from the airport's runway. Under civil aviation regulations, animal slaughter and meat-related activities are prohibited within a 10-kilometer radius of airports. This rule exists because animal waste and foul odors attract birds, which increases the risk of bird strikes and endangers aircraft operations.
During the operation, police rescued 12 animals, including four sheep valued at Rs 28,000 and eight goats valued at Rs 48,000. Officers also seized iron knives and wooden chopping blocks used for slaughter. According to the police, the animals were being kept in unhygienic, muddy conditions and slaughtered without any official permissions.
The police registered a case against the shop owner, Mohsin Abdulmajid Qureshi, 45. He has been charged under Section 325 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Section 10 of the Aircraft Act of 1934, and Sections 3, 11(1)(c), and 11(1)(d) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1960. The rescued sheep and goats were relocated to the Animal Trust shelter at Mokashi in Khalapur for rehabilitation.
The raid was initiated after an animal welfare activist from Kalamboli filed a complaint. Aviation safety concerns in the area had previously been flagged by B.N. Kumar, the founder of the NatConnect Foundation. Kumar had submitted a written complaint to the Ministry of Civil Aviation pointing out violations of Aerodrome Environment Management Committee guidelines and warning that illegal meat trading near the airport runway directly threatened flight safety.
