Rustenburg - Four men were arrested and 37 suspected stolen goats were recovered during a crime prevention operation in Limpopo. Two vehicles were seized.
“Police acted on the information received and conducted a roadblock as well as stop and search Operations at Glencowie and they managed to arrest two male suspects aged 33 and 38 respectively and in the process recovered 21 goats and also confiscated a vehicle used to transport the goats - a Ford Ranger.
“The same team followed up on information and managed to arrest one suspect in Burgerfort who was awaiting for a payment and subsequently the team proceeded to Mecklenburg policing area and further arrested the fourth suspect who is from a village where goats were stolen. The same day two more goats were confiscated in Monsterloos. On Saturday January 7 at about 4:00 during a stop and search, police chased a bakkie which the driver alighted from and fled on foot abandoning it with 14 goats inside,” Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said.
The four suspects, two in Nebo and two in Mecklenburg, were expected to appear in the Magistrate’s Court on Monday facing the charges of possession of suspected stolen livestock and other related charges.
In the Free State, police said a man was arrested and eight goat carcasses as well as two sheep carcasses recovered.
Captain Stephen Thakeng said the police followed up information of stock theft in progress at a farm in Virginia on Friday night.
He said a bakkie with a canopy was spotted travelling from the farm taking the direction towards Linabo Bridge.
“The bakkie was followed until the Aldam/Virginia/Winburg crossing where it was stopped and seven suspects jumped out of the bakkie, running in different directions in the bush.
“A 43-year-old driver was arrested with eight slaughtered goat carcasses and two carcasses of sheep. He could not provide the SAPS members with necessary documents to be in possession of the stock,” he said.
The man was arrested for possession of presumably suspected stolen stock. The bakkie was also seized. He was expected to appear in the Virginia Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
IOL