POTCHEFSTROOM – The ongoing battle against rural crime saw significant progress as police arrested eight suspects in two separate incidents.
According to Police Colonel Adéle Myburgh, the first incident occurred in the early hours of Friday, 19 July 2024. Police received information about a suspicious vehicle on the N14 road between Ventersdorp and Carletonville.
The Klerkskraal police, assisted by the Potchefstroom Flying Squad, intercepted two taxi vehicles and arrested six suspects, aged between 23 and 45. The suspects were unable to account for 30 sheep and 18 goats found inside the two taxis.
The six will appear before the Ventersdorp Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 22 July 2024, for possession of suspected stolen property.
In a separate incident later that night, Boons police on patrol on the R509 road between Derby and Magaliesburg stopped a suspicious Toyota Quantum taxi.
Two passengers fled the vehicle, but police arrested the remaining two suspects. A search of the taxi revealed 37 goats, which the suspects could not account for.
The duo, aged 30 and 38, will appear before the Koster Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 22 July 2024, for possession of suspected stolen goats.
In both cases, the animals were unmarked. The police urge farmers to mark their animals according to the Animal Identification Act, 2002 (Act No 6 of 2002), as many court cases are lost due to disputes over proper identification. Proper marking with a registered brand or tattoo helps avoid these disputes.