The raid was spearheaded by Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Executive Magistrate Rikta Khatun, accompanied by Sadar Upazila Livestock Officer Dr Md Monir Hossain and members of the local police force. Upon entering the compound, officials confirmed the reports, discovering a gruesome scene where thirteen horses had already been slaughtered and suspended with ropes in a cruel manner. A fourteenth horse was rescued alive from the site before the animals could be processed further.

All nine individuals present at the facility were taken into custody and subsequently convicted under Section 24 for violating Section 4 of the Animal Slaughter and Meat Quality Control Act, 2011. The convicted men have been identified as Md Mijanur Rahman, 30; Rubel, 39; Sohel Rana, 30; Emon Hasan, 28; Md Tuhin, 19; Ibrahim Khalil, 21; Masud Rana, 24; Humayun Kabir, 35; and Maruf, 26.

The court handed down a one-year simple imprisonment sentence to the key coordinator who gathered the group and organised the illicit operation. The remaining eight accomplices were each sentenced to six months of simple imprisonment.

During initial interrogations, the convicts revealed that they hailed from various regions, including Dhaka, Gazipur, and Jamalpur. They admitted to procuring horses from different parts of the country with the intention of slaughtering them, packaging the meat, and distributing it to commercial markets and eateries.

Magistrate Rikta Khatun condemned the cruel treatment of the animals, noting that the horrific methods used to bind and hang the horses violated basic animal welfare standards alongside food safety laws. Dr Monir Hossain reiterated that horse meat is strictly prohibited for commercial sale under local regulations, confirming that investigations remain ongoing to identify any additional co-conspirators and determine where previous shipments of meat may have been supplied.