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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
POLICE are looking for 60 most wanted stock thieves, four of them women, who have so far evaded arrest in ongoing anti-stock theft operations.

Police National Coordinator Anti-Stock Theft Senior Assistant Commissioner Erasmus Makodza said the ongoing countrywide operations had seen them coming up with 60 suspects who police believe are behind a string of stockthefts countrywide.

He said recently they did an analysis of the first quarter from January to April this year and realised that they had failed to meet their target of reducing stock theft cases by 10 percent, hence they had stepped up their war against stock theft.

“We’re doing serious operations countrywide and we have made a number of arrests and recoveries although I can’t give figures for now.

“While the operation is ongoing we would want to account for people who are on the police most wanted list of stock thieves,” said Snr Asst Comm Makodza.

“We noticed criminals have new methods of stealing with widespread theft of goats which are transported using public transport. This has inflated the number of wanted persons who we believe are behind a series of crimes.”

Snr Asst Comm Makodza said the ongoing operations were aimed at nabbing cattle rustlers and eradicating illegal beef markets.

He urged farmers to brand all their livestock as criminals were targeting unbranded animals.