The Padubidri police on Monday arrested two men on charges of illegal cow transportation and rescued three cows that were being transported in a cruel manner in a goods vehicle in the Udupi district.

The police gave the names of the accused as Ismail, 42, Abbasgudde, Kaup taluk, who was driving the vehicle and Karnire Mohammed, 62, a resident of Karnire in Mulky taluk.

Acting on specific information, Sub-Inspector Anil Kumar T. Naik and his team flagged the goods vehicle that was moving towards Padubidri from Karkala at Kajanadka in Inna village. The police team found cows being illegally transported in the vehicle. It seized the vehicle and arrested the accused.

Padubidri police have registered a case under the provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act against the accused.

Ismail has been booked under nine cases of illegal cow transportation in different police station limits of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, the police said.