Two men aged 35 and 36 from Rasmeni locality in Ngcobo were arrested by police in Ncise, Mthatha, on Wednesday morning for possession of suspected stolen livestock and an illegal firearm.
Members of the South African Police Service Public Order Policing unit in Mthatha acted on information about a vehicle transporting suspected stolen sheep. Officers spotted an Isuzu bakkie matching the description and stopped it in Ncise.
Police discovered 23 sheep believed to be stolen during the search. The 35-year-old suspect was also found with an unlicensed 9mm pistol with an erased serial number and 14 rounds of ammunition. The suspects allegedly failed to provide proof of purchase or transport permits for the livestock.
Preliminary investigations indicate the sheep were stolen from farms in Ngcobo and were intended to be sold in Mthatha’s Link locality. The vehicle used in the crime has been impounded, while the firearm will undergo ballistic testing.
The suspects are expected to appear in the Mthatha Magistrate’s Court on Friday facing charges of possession of suspected stolen livestock, while the 35-year-old also faces an additional charge of illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.
OR Tambo District Commissioner Norman Modishana praised the police team for the arrest, noting that stock theft remains a persistent problem in the district, with some suspects reportedly using firearms during such crimes.
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