Intelligence driven operations and diligent detective work by members of various Stock Theft Units within the province were boosted with arrests.
Sixty six sheep were stolen at Mayibe village and discovered 40 km away at Tabase A/A and positively identified as belonging to a local subsistence farmer with the help of the local traditional authority on 01 December 2017.
The sheep were reported stolen on Friday night 1 December 2017, and recovered in an uncultivated fenced ploughing field by detectives who were investigating the case. it is alleged, the owner of the sheep attended a funeral and left a relative in charge who briefly left the homestead and came back only to discover that the sheep were missing.
Police are appealing to all stock owners to exercise caution and high alert during this time as stock thieves are on the lookout for unattended stock to steal and sell for a quick buck. Police are also warning the members of the public to refrain from buying meat and stock from people who do not own stock or have positive proof that they are the rightful owners of the goods for sale.
Police will be having no option but to arrest the seller and the buyer of stolen stock.
EC Provincial Commissioner-Lt Gen Ntshinga congratulated the members for the successes and vouched that his component and all the units will do their utmost work, working hand in hand with community members and stock owners to fight the scourge of stock theft that tends to be a regular occurrence during the festive season and beyond.
“Our deployment must focus on key festive season pillars that instruct members to investigate all the cases related to wildlife, endangered species, marine species and combating stock theft. This breakthrough and successes proves that Stock Theft Units are on the right track,” she added.
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