Over the past five years in Kazakhstan, the number of recorded cases of livestock theft has fallen by 64%, reports the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Despite the overall positive trend, cases of theft continue to be recorded.
According to Polisia.kz, officers from the criminal police in the Almaty region detained a criminal group consisting of three people, who are suspected of systematically stealing cattle grazing in the region's steppes. According to available information, the offenders took livestock every two to three days, after which they slaughtered them and transported the carcasses to Almaty for sale at markets.
One of the suspects, according to the police, worked as a driver of a Volkswagen lorry, which was used to transport the carcasses. Law enforcement officers established the group's involvement in the theft of more than 30 head of cattle.
Furthermore, in the Pavlodar region, police detained another group of three people suspected of stealing horses in the Ekibastuz district. According to preliminary data, one of those detained previously worked as a herdsman and, over the course of two years, secretly removed horses, appropriating them for himself. The damage from his actions amounted to more than 70 head.
"Livestock farming is one of the key activities of the rural population. Thefts, especially of livestock, deal a serious blow to villagers, so combating such crimes is one of the priority areas in police work," the statement said.
It is noted that since the beginning of the year, police have detained 188 livestock thieves, and also suppressed the activities of 41 criminal groups. 1,134 head of stolen livestock were returned to their owners.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs recommends that livestock owners observe simple safety measures:
- strengthen their farmsteads and not leave livestock unattended;
- use modern methods of monitoring pedigree livestock by installing GPS trackers;
- constantly keep a record of livestock numbers, use chipping, tagging, and branding, which will further help in searching for stolen or lost livestock, as well as resolving possible disputes among herdsmen.
Recall that earlier in Astana, Almaty and Shymkent, over 20 days, 13 illegal slaughterhouses were identified. At the same time, police established the involvement of 131 individuals in animal thefts and suppressed the activities of 26 criminal groups.