NKURENKURU - The Namibian Police in Kavango West on Tuesday night caught a suspected cattle theft syndicate in the act.

Kavango West has been experiencing a high number of stock theft, and farmers have been calling on the police to burn the midnight oil to catch the culprits who have been preying on their livestock. 

“The arrest was made on Tuesday about 21h00 at Manyondo village, Kapako constituency. About four suspects stole and slaughtered an ox, which was grazing with others along the Rundu-Nkurenkuru main road,” said the Kavango West police commander, Julia Sakuwa-Neo,  who confirmed the arrest. 

After a tip off from an informer, the police officers ambushed and found that the suspect where busy skinning the ox and have started loading the carcass in a white Toyota Corolla (sedan) with registration N1704RU, a taxi from Rundu that was standing on the edge of the tarred road.

When our members got to the scene, two suspects ran in different directions while the other two jumped into the car.

“The two suspects drove off with the sedan where the meat was loaded; when they reached at Halili village, the suspect (driver) jumped out off the vehicle and a passenger was arrested. The car owner was arrested  later that morning as well,” the commander noted.

According to the commander, it appears that about five cattle have been slaughtered at the same place recently on different dates.

The commander warned those involved in livestock theft that its only a matter of time that the long arm of the law will catch up with them. 

-  jmuyamba@nepc.com.na