Police find bulk of stolen wool
A GROUP of Cathcart farmers have praised the Queenstown stock theft unit for ‘brilliant’ work following the recovery of 69 bales of wool during a hijacking last week.
A total of 91 bales of wool, valued at about R1.3-million, were en route to BKB in Port Elizabeth when the truck was hijacked at gunpoint by armed men between Fort Beaufort and Grahamstown last Tuesday.
The truck contained wool from the farms of Dave and Duncan Currie, Richard Armstrong and Mark Anderson of the Cathcart district.
The driver and co-driver were tied up with cable ties and abducted by the men. Both were later found unharmed while the truck was found on the road to Lady Frere. The wool had been offloaded.
Farmers from the district immediately started searching and, following a tip-off, called in the police.
Duncan Currie said the reaction of the Queenstown stock theft unit, headed by Colonel Keith Jaggers, had been swift and efficient.
Four suspects were arrested in Maya village near Qamata with 69 bales found. Some of the wool had been placed into other bags while the remainder was missing.
Police spokesman lieutenant Namhla Mdleleni said four suspects, aged between the ages of 25 and 45, were in custody.
They were due to appear in the Cofimvaba Magistrate’s Court on charges of possession of unlicensed firearms and suspected stolen goods.
Two unlicensed firearms were seized.