Cases of Sheep rustling are on the rise

October 4th, 2011 - 12:11 am ICT by Aishwarya Bhatt  

London, Oct 3 (THAINDIAN NEWS) Cases of sheep rustling has gone up dramatically in the United Kingdom, the police have noticed. It is feared that the animals are slaughtered and smuggled out of the country once they are stolen. Police say if they compare this year’s data to those on record, there has been at least 80 percent increase in the crime.

In the first eight months of the year, police says about 30,000 sheep have been stolen from various places in the United Kingdom. When the data is broken down, it can be seen that the worst case is in the North East. The recent incident involved 86 sheep which were stolen in Northumberland.

Chief Superintendent Mark Dennett of the Northumbria police told reporters that he suspect that organized criminals are behind the theft. He was quoted by the Mirror as saying that, “I suspect the sheep could be transported out of the region, or even loaded on ships bound for Europe. The farming community is very close knit. The vast majority of butchers and suppliers know exactly where their meat comes from. It is crucial we get information.”

British and Scottish farmers have suffered massive losses this year. It is estimated that about £5million have been lost by the farmers as a result of the thefts. It is believed that the stolen animals are sold for £100 each.

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