A woman and teenage boy have been arrested after a month-long investigation into theft of livestock from northern Victoria.
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Members from Victoria Police Eastern Region Crime Team, with assistance from regional detectives, executed warrants in Colac and Werneth.
The warrants were simultaneously executed on June 14, and a 53 year-old Colac woman and 17 year-old Werneth boy were arrested.
Eight Speckle Park calves, which comprised of a heifer and seven bulls, were stolen from a dairy farm on Blamey Road, Yarroweyah, on Friday, June 7, and recovered following the raids.
Sheep stolen from saleyards in Shepparton on May 19 have not yet been recovered.
Eastern Region Crime Team Inspector Matthew Baynes said the arrests reflect Victoria Police’s dedication to far- related crime, in particular theft of livestock across regional Victoria.
“We know the farming community is concerned about incidents of stock theft, and we want to reassure everyone that police take this issue very seriously,” Inspector Baynes said.
“We have a dedicated Agricultural Liaison Officer program (AGLO), which is a collection of more than 60 members across the state who have expert skills in investigating livestock theft and farm crime.”
AGLO oversees farm crime and livestock theft investigations where required, provide advice, guidance and assistance to members, establish and maintain relationships with farming partners, liaise with the farming community, encourage reporting of livestock theft, maintain a contemporary knowledge of local trends and issues, and engage with partners to identify and mitigate risks in farming practice.
“We want to remind the farming community that police are here to help,” Inspector Baynes said.
“It’s important that any incident is always reported to police at the earliest opportunity so that we can investigate fully.
“If you see any suspicious behaviour, particularly stock crates or trailers which appear out of place, then we encourage you to report this to police or to contact Crime Stoppers.”
