Three nabbed in stock theft bust
THREE suspected stock thieves were arrested yesterday morning after police caught them allegedly transporting 14 skinned sheep on the back of a bakkie.
The men – aged 29, 33 and 39 – were arrested after a Kinkelbos police van on patrol pulled them off the road at about 3am.
Police spokesman Captain Andre Beetge said the police had spotted the bakkie, with a sheet covering the back, travelling towards Port Elizabeth on the N2.
“The bakkie was heavily loaded and the back was very low, almost touching the ground,” he said.
“This gave the police members reason to believe they were transporting something concealed under the tarpaulin.
“Police managed to pull the bakkie over and found 14 skinned sheep carcasses on the back.
“It is suspected that they had been stolen sometime during Tuesday night or early [yesterday] morning.”
Beetge said the estimated value of the sheep and loss to the farmer was about R35 000 – about R2 500 a sheep.
The sheep are suspected to have been stolen from the Cookhouse area, about 170km north of Port Elizabeth near Somerset East.
“Detectives from Port Elizabeth are liaising with those from the Cookhouse and surrounding areas to encourage farmers to conduct a stock count,” he said.
Sources said at least one of the suspects was known to stock theft unit detectives.
All three are due to appear in the Alexandria Magistrate’s Court tomorrow.
This comes a month after four suspected stock thieves were killed by outraged Libode residents near Mthatha.