The Bhutanese Leading the way.
Thimphu Police arrested 7 people in connection to cattle lifting. The seven suspects, aged between 25 years to 35 years, are from the southern region of the country. The arrests of the suspects have enabled the police to solve 11 cases of cattle lifting lodged by households in Mewang and Naja Gewog in Paro.
Though the initial cattle lifting case registration were just two, more people have now come forward to lodge their complaints. As of now, police have received complaints of 40 missing cows. The 7 suspects slaughtered 28 cows of the missing 40 cows in different locations.
It is learnt that the suspects lifted the cattle during odd hours, far from human settlement, and brutally slaughtered them. They took all the flesh of the cows and left behind just the head and skin, and sold the meat to the meat vendors.
In connection to this, police will also charge the meat vendors who bought the meat from the suspects, under possession of stolen property.
As per section 256 of the PCB 2004, the offence of possession of stolen property shall be half the penalty awarded to a person who had committed the offence of larceny.
All the seven suspects will be charged for larceny (larceny of cattle) and as per section 244 of PCB 2004, the offence of larceny shall be a value-based sentencing.
In line to this, police asked cattle owners to be more vigilant, and to report to police or to note down a number if they find anything suspicious with any vehicle movements during odd hours.
At a same time, the police also reminded the meat vendors to buy only BAFRA certified meat.
