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It would appear that livestock criminals are having a bad day at the office. This follows Stolen cattle totalling R1.3 million discovered in the Northern KwaZulu-Natal towns of Vryheid and Utrecht.
KZN Police Spokesperson Lieutenant Nqobile Gwala explains that the stolen cattle were recovered on Monday, 31 January 2022, during a joint operation.
“The team was following up on information regarding cattle that were stolen at a farm in the Free State province over the weekend. Information led the team to Shoba area in Vryheid, where 76 cattle were recovered,” says Gwala.
Mornè Potgieter, Ithemba Security’s Operational Director, elaborates on the case, stating that the recovery was part of an intensive investigation that involved a lot of hard work and tracing.
Potgieter, speaking on behalf of Ithemba Security, says they were notified on Sunday morning, 30 January 2022, about a farmer losing a large number of cattle. The security firm then enlisted the help of informants and collaborated with the Stock Theft Unit and the farming community.
The team then rounded up the necessary information, and the individual who transported the cattle was tracked down. Upon confronting the person, law enforcement was then informed about the location of the cattle.
Gwala adds that following the discovery of the cattle, it was alleged that the suspects sold some of the animals.
With this information in hand, she explains that the team proceeded to Utrecht, recovering two more cattle.
“All 78 cattle were positively identified by the lawful owner. The total value of the recovered cattle is R1.3 million. Police are still searching for the suspects,” she concludes.
Potgieter points out that while law enforcement is hot on the heels of the suspects, the impact of teamwork cannot be denied.
“I can really say, this is one of the greatest and quickest successes, of such a big amount of cattle that was stolen in such a short period of time.”
A special shoutout goes to the Amajuba Anti-Stock Theft Task Team, Vrede Stock Theft Unit and Ithemba Security, as well as the community and farm members for their efforts in recovering the cattle.
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