Farmers are being urged to remain vigilant following the sentencing of one of Queensland's largest ever cases of cattle theft.
A major operation by the Major and Organised Crime Squad (MOCS) saw two men convicted, after they stole more than 600 animals.
A 58-year-old Capalaba man was last Monday sentenced to two years imprisonment and paid restitution after pleading guilty in the Townsville Magistrates Court to stealing 280 head of unprocessed cattle.
If followed the sentencing on June 18 of a 36-year-old Atherton man, who was sentenced to three years and nine months imprisonment in the Cairns District Court for stealing 664 head of unprocessed cattle.
Operation North Veering commenced in 2015 after a property owner made a complaint to police about missing more than 600 head of cattle from a property north of Richmond in North West Queensland.
In early 2019, detectives from MOCS arrested the two men responsible.
The 36-year-old man was the manager of the property during the offending period and a 58-year-old man was a former property owner.
Detective Sergeant Liam Scanlan said it was one of rural police's biggest ever operations.
"This is one of Queensland's largest reported cattle thefts in decades, with factors such as the timeframe between the offence and the complainant noticing the stock missing, the remoteness of the property and the various locations of witnesses all adding to the complexity of the investigation," Detective Sergeant Scanlan said.
"What this case highlights is just how many cattle can be stolen, the impact on producers and how seriously police take this type of offending."
Detective Sergeant Scanlan urged rural producers to make sure that they're on top of their security.
"It is a timely reminder to all cattle property owners to be vigilant of any suspicious activities and to report it to police as soon as possible," he said. Report suspicious behaviour to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
