Image: Five head of cattle, believed to be stolen, were recovered after police intercepted a Toyota Hilux towing this trailer on the Lothair–Ermelo Road.
A 26-year-old man has been arrested after police intercepted a vehicle transporting five head of cattle suspected to have been stolen on the Lothair–Ermelo Road early on Monday morning.
According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), members from Lothair SAPS, assisted by a member of the Provincial Organised Crime Investigation Unit, acted on information regarding a Toyota Hilux towing a trailer loaded with cattle. The vehicle was stopped at about 05:45 on 13 July, but the two occupants were unable to provide proof of ownership for the animals.
The vehicle was taken to the Lothair Police Station, where one of the suspects fled into a nearby plantation. Despite a search involving drones and tracking dogs, the suspect remains at large. Police seized the Toyota Hilux, trailer and five head of cattle.
The arrested 26-year-old suspect is expected to appear in the Chief Albert Luthuli Magistrate's Court on a charge of stock theft. The investigation has since been handed over to the Stock Theft Unit.