DURBAN Police from Vryheid Stock Theft Unit conducted a multi-disciplinary operation in the Vryheid policing area with other police officers within the cluster which led to the arrest of two suspects and the recovery of stolen livestock.

Police received intelligence about males who were slaughtering cattle near the reservoir. They proceeded to the area, where they found the suspects who attempted to flee when confronted. Police recovered two slaughtered cattle, a skin and two live calves. The suspects were immediately arrested for possession of stolen livestock. The livestock were stolen from a local farm and were positively identified by the owner through his registered brand mark. The recovered livestock were handed back to the owner. The suspects appeared in the Vryheid Magistrate’s Court on 20 December 2019 where they were remanded into custody for further investigation.

The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Khombinkosi Jula praised police for the arrests. We will continue with an investigation to ascertain if the two can be linked to pending stock theft cases. Livestock owners are urged to ensure that they brand mark their livestock. It helps the investigators to solve the case and immediately hand back the recovered stock to a lawful owner. Lot of livestock remain impounded after they were recovered because of being unbranded, he said.

Source: South African Police Service