Police in the Western Division have recorded an increase in the theft of livestock such as horses, cows, goats, roosters and sheep.

Divisional Police Commander West Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Surend Sami said while they have been able to recover a number of stolen livestock and return them to their owners, other cases are not so fortunate.

“A total of 22 reports of livestock theft has been recorded in the Western Division from the 1st of November, and ten people have been arrested, charged and produced in court”.

“We often record a spike in cases of livestock theft during the festive season and our officers are out in their communities reminding farmers of the need to secure their livestock to avoid becoming victims of theft”.

SSP Sami has also been emphasizing this message during his Operation Readiness Check Inspections throughout the Western Division.

“Families make an honest living in raising their livestock and we don’t want them to be robbed of their hard work”.

“Our officers have managed to quickly recover some of the stolen livestock but there are cases where were too late, however we will try our best to ensure farmers do not have to suffer this Festive season by opportunists who are aiming to earn a quick and easy buck”.