One arrested, another on the run after suspected stock theft case in Lothair
A 26-year-old man has been arrested after police intercepted a vehicle transporting five cattle suspected to have been stolen near Lothair.
LOTHAIR – Police, assisted by a member of the Provincial Organised Crime Investigation Unit, arrested a 26-year-old suspect for possession of suspected stolen livestock during an operation conducted on July 13 at about 05:45.
The arrest was made after police received information about a Toyota Hilux towing a trailer loaded with suspected stolen cattle.
Police intercepted the vehicle on the Lothair-Ermelo Road, where the two occupants were unable to provide proof of ownership for the five head of cattle being transported.
The vehicle was taken to the Lothair SAPS, where one suspect fled into a nearby plantation.
Police immediately launched a search operation using drones and tracking dogs.
Despite extensive efforts, the suspect has not been located at the time of publication and remains at large.
Officers seized the Toyota Hilux, the trailer, and the five head of cattle as part of the investigation.
The arrested 26-year-old suspect is expected to appear in the Chief Albert Luthuli Magistrate’s Court on a charge of stock theft.
The case has since been handed over to the Stock Theft Unit for further investigation.
