Rustenburg - A 43-year-old man was arrested after he was found in possession of 21 suspected stolen sheep which were bundled into a minibus taxi on the N14 in North West.
The minibus taxi had reportedly run out of petrol when the police found it in the early hours of Saturday.
North West police said the Vryburg K9 Unit members were conducting a patrol on the N14 between Vryburg and Kuruman at about 01:00 when they spotted a suspicious and stationary minibus along the road.
"Upon approaching the vehicle for enquiries, the police saw two individuals fleeing from the scene leaving the 43-year-old man behind. A subsequent search led to the discovery of 21sheep which were found loaded in the minibus. The suspect was arrested after failing to account for the possession and the vehicle was impounded," said spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Amanda Funani.
"Preliminary investigation showed that the minibus ran out of petrol while the suspects travelled to a yet to be determined destination from Kuruman in Northern Cape where the sheep were allegedly stolen at Tsineng village. The lawful owner of the sheep was traced through tattoo marks on the sheep," Funani said.
In a separate incident a man was arrested for stock theft after two cow carcasses were allegedly found in his possession.
"It is alleged that a farm owner observed unknown males in a kraal at his farm during the night on Friday, July 8, 2022, and alerted the police. Consequent to observation by the police, the identified Mahindra SUV vehicle was spotted, chased and ultimately stopped,“ Funani said.
She said three men managed to run away and evade arrest, but the driver was arrested.
The police found two cow carcasses in the vehicle, which was impounded.
IOL