Herd of cattle stolen- IFA €10,000 REWARD

roosterman71

Lads and lassies. Farmer in Westmeath has had his herd decimated by some thieving shower of sh1tes.

Keep yer eyes peeled. There is more info to be had on other media outlets.

A Co Westmeath husband and wife have said they are “shocked” and “devastated” after 100 of their animals were stolen on Thursday.
Niall and Christa Dillon from Kilbeggan, Co Westmeath made contact with the Irish Farmers Journal in order to try and help get information that might lead to the recovery some of the animals.

“I was up in the factory early on Thursday morning and I was making my way to the outfarm when I saw the padlock of the gate into the place cut,” Niall explained.

“I rang a neighbour to come up with me in case there was somebody there. When we got up to the place we saw that there was only four cattle left in the field. Seventy five cattle had been taken along with 25 ewes,” Niall said.

The cattle were nine cows and calves, 40 yearlings and the rest were animals over two years of age. They were a mixture of Charolais, Limousin and Hereford cattle.

“We called the guards and the Department (of Agriculture) straight away. I’ve been calling everyone I can think of to try and get the message out there in the hope that someone saw something,” Niall added.

Niall believes that there was as many as three trucks involved as CCTV footage in Tyrellspass saw at least one double-double articulated truck driving in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Niall and Christa are from Kibeggan but rent the land halfway between Tyrellspass and Kilbeggan. Niall explained the pain of losing stock reared from birth is hard to take.

“All those cattle bar 12 black whiteheads, were reared from birth here. We saw them grow up and we brought them along. It’s beyond my thinking as to how anyone could take them from us. It’s our livelihood here,” Niall said. It is estimated that the stock were worth in the region of €100,000.

“All we have left is 20 cows, 10 heifers and four bullocks. Our herd has been destroyed,” Niall concluded.

Gardaí in Kilbeggan are investigating the theft and anyone with information can make contact with them on 057 933 2102.

http://www.farmersjournal.ie/farmer-has-75-cattle-and-25-sheep-stolen-in-raid-184074/

blue5000

It's going to be harder for the rest of us to get insurance with this crap going on, hope they get caught.

tayto lover

Who would buy these from the thieves without the proper paperwork?

tanko

blue5000 wrote: »

It's going to be harder for the rest of us to get insurance with this crap going on, hope they get caught.

Yeah, really hope they're caught too, but even if they are what is the punishment likely to be? Probably a slap on the wrists, told not to do it again and maybe a fine. There's feck all deterrents for thieving in this country.

porsche boy

Im not a farmer but the logistics involved in steeling 100 head of cattle, there was some planning went into that.

ComfortKid

tanko wrote:

Yeah, really hope they're caught too, but even if they are what is the punishment likely to be? Probably a slap on the wrists, told not to do it again and maybe a fine. There's feck all deterrents for thieving in this country.

Really? I thought this would be a serious crime. Stealing someone's livelihood. 5 or 6 years in prison would be fair.

scudzilla

Don't post in here but seen it on the front page, how much would that lot have been worth?

Forget that, seen in OP was 100k

Kovu

Stickied to help raise awareness and hope someone recognises some of the cattle

These are some of the more identifiable cattle, the stranger marked ones may be noticed. The Facebook page- https://www.facebook.com/pages/Find-our-livestock-100-Livestock-animals-stolen-from-Kilbeggan/487369291418252?fref=photo has the entire photos of the stolen cattle.
The donedeal page has them also- http://www.donedeal.ie/beefcattle-for-sale/stolen-cattle-westmeath/9763875

yellow50HX

Shower of bastards. And it wouldn't be easy to load that many cattle either. I know of a few lads round here who have stopped moving cattle to outside farms just in case.

Would not be suprised if these were stolen to order. Fella buys fallen cows or calfs cheap or mostly likely dead ones then orders new tags and re tags the stolen ones. Eurotags should be on the look out for a high number of replacement tags getting ordered.

It's strange in a way but we all know our own. Most of our cows are either all black or all brown but I would know them as soon as I saw them without any tag.

whelan2

is micro chipping expensive? Would it work on cattle

tayto lover

Again lads, how would the thieves sell these on without the proper papers?

ComfortKid

tayto lover wrote:

Again lads, how would the thieves sell these on without the proper papers?

Read post #9

djmc

tayto lover wrote: »

Again lads, how would the thieves sell these on without the proper papers?

They wouldn't
There would have to be some sort of elaborate fraud involved.
Someone not recording dead animals and collecting cards ordering new tags.
Or abbitor killing and selling meat illegally on the black market.
However it's done I would suspect a lot of people are involved.
This is more than the work of a few farmers
Otherwise discrepancys would be picked up during tb tests etc.
There would be a market for some sort of satellite tracking device that the animal could injest as a bolas or attached to the hoof in some way.
A microchip in the animals tail or somewhere ineadable like behind the ear would also be a good idea.

Pacoa

Wouldn't they just find the signal and cut out the microchip?

ComfortKid

Pacoa wrote:

Wouldn't they just find the signal and cut out the microchip?

That'd be alot of work in the farmers field while trying to rob the animals? If they brought the animals back to their own place to do it the the last location could be found?

Cattlepen

Something just doesn't add up here. I don't think to many rustlers would have the nerve to steal 100 cattle

Mightydrumming

Sorry now, I'm ignorant when it comes to farming but I have one quick question.

How in the name of jasus did they steal 100 animals?

ComfortKid

The animals might not have been near any houses. 2 or 3 trips or even 2 or 3 lorrys? I'd say that robbing them is the easy part, hiding or selling them would be difficult.

Jimlh86

djmc wrote: »

They wouldn't
There would have to be some sort of elaborate fraud involved.
Someone not recording dead animals and collecting cards ordering new tags.
Or abbitor killing and selling meat illegally on the black market.
However it's done I would suspect a lot of people are involved.
This is more than the work of a few farmers
Otherwise discrepancys would be picked up during tb tests etc.
There would be a market for some sort of satellite tracking device that the animal could injest as a bolas or attached to the hoof in some way.
A microchip in the animals tail or somewhere ineadable like behind the ear would also be a good idea.

The horrible thing is any of the people involved and as you said that would be a lot, are some way involved in farming/ argriculture and know the blood sweat and tears it can take to farm! Jail would be too good for them!

Kovu

ComfortKid wrote: »

The animals might not have been near any houses. 2 or 3 trips or even 2 or 3 lorrys? I'd say that robbing them is the easy part, hiding or selling them would be difficult.

Yep, they got cctv footage of a lorry and drag trailer (new white scania) and a double decker (white with distinctive white skirting) driving at speed through Tyrrellspass at 2.01am Thurs morning. Easily fit all those cattle in the lorries and the sheep in the trailer.

I see on their Facebook page that copies of the photos of the cattle have been issued to all factories and the factory vets have been warned to be extra vigilant.

whelan2

Kovu wrote: »

Yep, they got cctv footage of a lorry and drag trailer (new white scania) and a double decker (white with distinctive white skirting) driving at speed through Tyrrellspass at 2.01am Thurs morning. Easily fit all those cattle in the lorries and the sheep in the trailer.

I see on their Facebook page that copies of the photos of the cattle have been issued to all factories and the factory vets have been warned to be extra vigilant.

would be great if they could post a pic of the lorry, not sure there would be too many similar around

Kovu

whelan2 wrote: »

would be great if they could post a pic of the lorry, not sure there would be too many similar around

Wouldn't it! Or even one similar. Is there some law about CCTV or something preventing them from showing it?

dzer2

Kovu wrote: »

Wouldn't it! Or even one similar. Is there some law about CCTV or something preventing them from showing it?

Not at all don't crime call show stuff all the time

Kovu

dzer2 wrote: »

Not at all don't crime call show stuff all the time

Yea that's what I was thinking. Maybe it's because they can't prove it was those lorries though? Bit odd that we've not been given a photo.

Bullocks

Kovu wrote: »

Yea that's what I was thinking. Maybe it's because they can't prove it was those lorries though? Bit odd that we've not been given a photo.

I'm guessing the guards shouldn't have much trouble finding out who owns the truck if they can get it on camera

Kristopherus

ComfortKid wrote: »

Really? I thought this would be a serious crime. Stealing someone's livelihood. 5 or 6 years in prison would be fair.

I'd be inclined to add a 1 before the 5 and 6. If that kind of stuff went on in America, there would be long holidays for the perpetrators.

ComfortKid

Definitely, but this is Ireland. The softest justice system in the world id say. People are getting out in less than that for murder.

foxy farmer

Could be a clandestine slaughter outfit. Hide the animals slaughter them and sell the meat on the black market. PSNI caught a crowd at it in the north recently. Butchering in the back of a lorry in one case.
Replacement tags can be got within 24 hours once the cards are on your profile
Could a factory handle a few animals after hours when staff have gone home?

ComfortKid

I know they were valued at 100k but is that the price the live animals are worth, or the meat?

Reggie.

Kovu wrote: »

Wouldn't it! Or even one similar. Is there some law about CCTV or something preventing them from showing it?

Believe it or not your right. Cctv looks like it might not be allowed to be used in evidence in the future

Base price

Reggie. wrote: »

Believe it or not your right. Cctv looks like it might not be allowed to be used in evidence in the future

From what I understand (stand corrected) unless the perpetrators of a crime are made aware that CCTV is in place with the appropriate sinage/warning/vocal warning then it cannot be used against them in court.
However if I was to catch these fellas in the act of stealing our or my neighbours cattle, I understand that lawfully I have to verbally warn them that I intend to protect my livestock and at the same time phone the local Garda Station.

Good loser

All the double decker trucks in the State and NI should be checked out.

Base price

Good loser wrote: »

All the double decker trucks in the State and NI should be checked out.

I presume the Garda/PSNI are already doing that.

Reggie.

Base price wrote: »

From what I understand (stand corrected) unless the perpetrators of a crime are made aware that CCTV is in place with the appropriate sinage/warning/vocal warning then it cannot be used against them in court.
However if I was to catch these fellas in the act of stealing our or my neighbours cattle, I understand that lawfully I have to verbally warn them that I intend to protect my livestock and at the same time phone the local Garda Station.

That's it exactly. Something to do with you cannot record them without thier knowledge as it is against some personnel rights. I don't think that it's in yet and that it may just be for persons and not vehicles tho

sasta le

Is the blackmarket meat trade happening alot in Ireland?

masculinist

Unbelieveable. I'm imagining trucks of gold bullion and Jeremy Irons' East German villain straight out of a Die Hard movie - a lot of work for 100k unless they believed they had a negligible chance of getting caught. In order to have a negligible chance of getting caught in the execution of a crime, any crime , thieves need some strong trustworthy insider information or someone on the inside. Anyone who usually visits the cattle could have been under constant surveillance to ensure they were not going to check on the cattle etc. How much time would it take to cut the lock and load up all those cattle ? Then how long did it take until the crime was discovered ? That time period is crucial because large lorries will not be able to go all that fast.
I thought all herds were trackable with electronic tags , for example the sheep roaming around the Dublin and Kerry mountains. I guess I was wrong ?

whelan2

masculinist wrote: »

Unbelieveable. I'm imagining trucks of gold bullion and Jeremy Irons' East German villain straight out of a Die Hard movie - a lot of work for 100k unless they believed they had a negligible chance of getting caught. In order to have a negligible chance of getting caught in the execution of a crime, any crime , thieves need some strong trustworthy insider information or someone on the inside. Anyone who usually visits the cattle could have been under constant surveillance to ensure they were not going to check on the cattle etc. How much time would it take to cut the lock and load up all those cattle ? Then how long did it take until the crime was discovered ? That time period is crucial because large lorries will not be able to go all that fast.
I thought all herds were trackable with electronic tags , for example the sheep roaming around the Dublin and Kerry mountains. I guess I was wrong ?

i am assuming the tags where the first thing to be removed from these animals

Jimlh86

Reggie. wrote: »

That's it exactly. Something to do with you cannot record them without thier knowledge as it is against some personnel rights. I don't think that it's in yet and that it may just be for persons and not vehicles tho

Lads you don't have to verbally or otherwise warn anybody you have CCTV provided it's only covers your property. The only. Purpose those signs have is to act as a deterrent (which they don't lads just cover up) or in shops/businesses where they also catch the street.

Reggie.

Jimlh86 wrote: »

Lads you don't have to verbally or otherwise warn anybody you have CCTV provided it's only covers your property. The only. Purpose those signs have is to act as a deterrent (which they don't lads just cover up) or in shops/businesses where they also catch the street.

You might in the future as we are waiting for confirmation from the legal system as you have to have permission to record someone. Just go to any school play or the likes and you'll see them looking for your permission to record it.

Someone must have challenged Cctv on the same rights so it's currently going through the legal system at the min. Be interesting what comes out of it. You should be covered once signs are up but ya know what this country is like

_Brian

foxy farmer wrote: »

Could be a clandestine slaughter outfit. Hide the animals slaughter them and sell the meat on the black market. PSNI caught a crowd at it in the north recently. Butchering in the back of a lorry in one case.
Replacement tags can be got within 24 hours once the cards are on your profile
Could a factory handle a few animals after hours when staff have gone home?

But not all animals here will go to slaughter.
Calves will be registered as twins in some herds.
Some of the cows will no doubt go to replace cows that have died and buried rather than gone to knacker. And then some will go to slaughter.

It just takes a few unscrupulous farmers to be involved and these cattle can easily be absorbed into herds.

Jimlh86

Reggie. wrote: »

You might in the future as we are waiting for confirmation from the legal system as you have to have permission to record someone. Just go to any school play or the likes and you'll see them looking for your permission to record it.

Someone must have challenged Cctv on the same rights so it's currently going through the legal system at the min. Be interesting what comes out of it. You should be covered once signs are up but ya know what this country is like

You're right Reggie but schools etc are governed by different laws than your land or private residence. A school for instance has to prove that survelliance cameras are justified because most of he time it will only be recording children and employees. Say a shop for instance can have as many CCTV cameras as they want provided it's not seen to be constantly "spying" on staff, and they can show it's to protect their stock.

blue5000

What could we do to prevent it happening to us? I think a lot of us have a crush and pen on out farms, these could be a liability in future.

Reggie.

Jimlh86 wrote: »

You're right Reggie but schools etc are governed by different laws than your land or private residence. A school for instance has to prove that survelliance cameras are justified because most of he time it will only be recording children and employees. Say a shop for instance can have as many CCTV cameras as they want provided it's not seen to be constantly "spying" on staff, and they can show it's to protect their stock.

Yes as the law stands but what I'm saying is that it's being challenged in the courts at the minute and if it's upheld then the laws will be changed in the future

Jimlh86

Reggie. wrote: »

Yes as the law stands but what I'm saying is that it's being challenged in the courts at the minute and if it's upheld then the laws will be changed in the future

For public places perhaps but I can't see how they could prohibit people from placing CCTV to cover their own property? But as you said this is Ireland! On another note this is a massive amount of stock to steal and process, surely some decent person with a conscience knows something!

foxy farmer

_Brian wrote: »

But not all animals here will go to slaughter.
Calves will be registered as twins in some herds.
Some of the cows will no doubt go to replace cows that have died and buried rather than gone to knacker. And then some will go to slaughter.

It just takes a few unscrupulous farmers to be involved and these cattle can easily be absorbed into herds.

Slaughter might be unlikely but possible. Only for Dept presence in factories the factories would kill anything.
DNA Sampling and a database would sort the tagging of bogus animals. Could be a nightmare to implement though.

greysides

foxy farmer wrote: »

DNA Sampling and a database would sort the tagging of bogus animals. Could be a nightmare to implement though.

Not really, I imagine the machinery is virtually already in place...... think BVD sampling.

foxy farmer

greysides wrote: »

Not really, I imagine the machinery is virtually already in place...... think BVD sampling.

Fair point but think of all the arguing by certain parties if those samples were used for DNA Sampling without proper debate and discussion. Could be challenged in the courts like the cctv issue.

Farmer

greysides wrote: »

Not really, I imagine the machinery is virtually already in place...... think BVD sampling.

Probably too expensive yet, think beef genomics program, €30 a head multiplied by size of national herd, repeated again at point of slaughter. We do enough giving out about existing stoppages without another €30 euro.

Injectable chip implant delivered with tags and double checked by vet at test time and at slaughter might be a cheaper option but, I suppose they'd figure out how to swap these.

blue5000

Farmer wrote: »

Probably too expensive yet, think beef genomics program, €30 a head multiplied by size of national herd, repeated again at point of slaughter. We do enough giving out about existing stoppages without another €30 euro.

Injectable chip implant delivered with tags and double checked by vet at test time and at slaughter might be a cheaper option but, I suppose they'd figure out how to swap these.

Just because we are being charged 30, doesn't mean that it actually costs 30:(

Farmer

blue5000 wrote: »

Just because we are being charged 30, doesn't mean that it actually costs 30:(

You're right about that but, as we'd ultimately be paying, it would still probably be €30

djmc

_Brian wrote: »

But not all animals here will go to slaughter.
Calves will be registered as twins in some herds.
Some of the cows will no doubt go to replace cows that have died and buried rather than gone to knacker. And then some will go to slaughter.

It just takes a few unscrupulous farmers to be involved and these cattle can easily be absorbed into herds.

It would have to be more than a few
If an average farm had 5 dead fully grown cattle die in a year between tb annual test it would be a lot.
Animals would have to be not recorded dead and card held and numbers held for stolen animals. So at least 30 farmers would need to be involved which I think is unlikely that many could work together.
An unscrupulous vet doing bogus tests could do a lot of damage though.
I think this is more than likely done by an organised criminal gang with help or knowledge of how farming and department of ag works.
Export of animals might be possible if they could get paperwork.