Pretoria lawyer arrested by Middelburg Stock Theft Unit
Farmers believe that a battle was won in the war against stock theft when twelve people, one of them a lawyer, were arrested.
The arrests were effected by the Middelburg Stock Theft Unit, together with ACSU Security and farmers, after information was received, Middelburg Observer reports.
During the operation, three cattle trucks, two loaded with cattle and one busy loading, were discovered in the Breyten area.
Altogether 122 cattle were already loaded onto the trucks, while 57 cattle were ready to be loaded and more cattle were being chased into a kraal.
Brig. Leonard Hlathi, a police spokesperson, said that a 32-year-old lawyer, as well as another man, was arrested on the scene. Several suspects ran away.
Police also confiscated a Toyota Hilux bakkie and R95 000 cash on the scene.
Further investigations resulted in the arrest of ten more suspects, whom police believe supplied the stolen cattle.
Brig. Hlathi also said that two men and a woman, who looked after the cattle, were tied up and held up during the cattle theft.
The suspects will appear in court on Thursday and will face charges of stock theft and the possession of the stolen property. Their names cannot be made public before their court appearance.
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