Sheep rustlers arrested in the north

TWO men, aged 45 and 42, were arrested in the north after 34 sheep which police believe they smuggled from the government-controlled areas, were found in their pens in occupied Engomi and Famagusta. The sheep had been fitted with chips by the Cyprus Veterinary Services and were seized by police in the north as evidence.
It was reported last month that gangs of animal rustlers were targeting livestock in areas close to the UN-controlled  buffer zone.
Most recently, livestock from the areas of Dali, Lympia, Potamia and Athienou had been stolen. Police suspected the gangs were crossing from the north.
An incident last month involved five young people, between the ages of 20 and 22 who stole around 40 sheep at gunpoint in the village of Athienou on Christmas Day.
The 74-year-old owner of the sheep and his 69-year-old wife reported to police they were tied up while the robbers loaded the sheep on their truck before stealing his mobile phone, his car keys and slashing his car’s tyres. The value of the sheep is estimated to be around €4,000.
Farmers from the affected areas have demanded that police take measures to protect their property. In response, the police have increased their patrols along the buffer zone. They are calling on people who see anything suspicious on their land or property to inform them but to avoid attempting to resolve the problem themselves as gangs are often armed.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.