Thieves target La Romaine farmersRISHI RAGOONATH RAGOONATH
Within a week thieves made off with eight cattle worth $36,000 in total, including two pregnant cows, from five farmers in La Romaine.
Two of the animals were found dead, including the pregnant cow which was mutilated, and a third was found alive and returned to its owner.
Robin, one of the farmers, was so afraid he did not even want his full name used in the newspaper.
Four of his animals, including a seven-month pregnant cow, were snatched from his parcel of land along M2 Ring Road, La Fortune, between Friday, September 20 and last Saturday. He has a caretaker living on the land who looks after his property and cattle. He had seven animals in total.
Robin recalled that on September 20 he checked on his animals and left. When he returned on Saturday, he realised that two, a male and female worth $7,500 in total, missing.
He said other farmers who rear their animals in that area also began losing their livestock. His investigations revealed that occupants of an orange wagon and a white Kia van have been driving through the area stealing the animals. He said on Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday, he together with friends, relatives and other farmers, combed areas in Debe, Ramai Trace, Barrackpore and Moruga in search of the animals.
“From morning to night. No food, nothing.”
He said on Republic Day (Tuesday) they got a tip off that one of the animals was in Moruga.
“When we gone we see the animal (belonging to one of the farmers) in front a duck farm. He four legs tie and mouth tie with duct tape in the grass. It was crouch up. So many days pass like they did not give it water or anything. It was dead,” Robin said.
He said he and the group buried the animal. When he returned and checked on his animals, he found another female cow, pregnant that is black and light brown in colour valued at $4,500, missing. They resumed searching for the animals on Thursday and Friday. Robin said he discovered his fourth cattle, a black and white cow, missing around 8 am on Saturday.
He and his group continued searching for them and the next morning he got a call from a relative who said one of his cows was spotted in Debe. “I told them to watch the cattle, don’t go close to it and stay a distance off.”
He was told that a man brought the cattle in a vehicle and dropped it near a house. When he got there and confirmed the animal was his, he called the San Fernando CID because he had made a report each time his cattle was stolen. Robin said a man was arrested and his cow was returned to him. However, he said another farmer found the mutilated body of his (farmer) pregnant cow in the La Fortune area.
“They take off the four foot and the upper part of the chest and leave the body on the ground with the young still in the belly.” Worried that his animals will suffer the same fate, Robin pleaded with persons who stole them not to kill them, especially the pregnant cow.
“Please, drop them back by me in La Fortune,” he pleaded.
The farmer also asked anyone who may have any information about the animals’ whereabouts or the thieves to contact the San Fernando CID or him at 760-6056.
Only on Monday, Guardian Media highlighted the plight of a businessman in Westmoorings, whose Cumuto farm was raided and items stolen.
https://guardian.co.tt/news/thieves-tar ... 96dc7220b5
