Two male suspected cattle rustlers were arrested on Thursday morning after they were allegedly found with 49 stolen heads of cattle in one of the suspect’s kraal at Okuapa village in the Okamatapati area.

Namibian Police Force (NamPol) spokesperson in the Otjozondjupa Region, Inspector Maureen Mbeha, in an interview with Nampa on Friday said the suspects will be fully charged for stock theft on Friday, and will appear in the Okakarara Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

It is alleged that the 49-year-old suspect, who is out on bail in a separate stock theft case of November 2019, together with his 38-year-old accomplice, stole the cattle in the grazing field situated approximately 20 kilometres from where they were found.

Villagers who reside about three kilometres from where the cattle were found, allegedly became suspicious when they spotted livestock tracks passing in between their houses.

As a group, they decided to follow the tracks not far from their houses,and found 49 cattle carrying different brand marks and eartags in the kraal of one of the suspects, together with his few cattle, said Mbeha.

“This alarmed the villagers, who then called in the police from the Okamatapati Police Station,” she said.

The suspects, who were still together inside the main suspect’s house on Thursday morning, were then approached for questioning by the police.

The two were later arrested after the 57-year-old cattle owner had opened a stock theft case at the same police station.

The cattle with a market value of N.dollars, 450 000 were recovered and will be handed over to the owner by Friday afternoon, said Mbeha.

Police investigations into the matter continue.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency