POLICE have arrested six men and are still pursuing two of their accomplices for stealing 52 dairy goats worth RM 50,000 from a goat farm on Jalan Mengkuang Keretapi, Bukit Mertajam, on Saturday.

Central Seberang Prai police chief Nik Ros Azhan Nik Abdul Hamid said the four men, aged 19 to 61, were detained separately in Butterworth, Bukit Mertajam and Padang Srai, Kedah from 11pm to 8am today.

“In the 1.20am incident, the 34-year-old owner became aware of the loss of his livestock after being informed by the villagers, while four Myanmar nationals who worked for him were also tied up and injured by the suspects,” he said today.

Nik Ros added the workers said that at least five masked men armed with machetes had entered their house in the compound of the sheepfold before tying them up.

He said the suspects then escaped with all the goats in a truck.

Nik Ros said police detained the first man in Pantai Bersih, Butterworth, before raiding four other locations and arresting five men: truck owners, buyers and shepherds.

“Initial investigations found that they stole the goats and sold them to a trader, who was also a goat supplier at a market in Kulim, while the 61-year-old planned the theft,” he said.

He said the 26-year-old goat trader, who was also arrested, promised RM15,000 to RM20,000 in payment after the stolen goats were sold and he also gave a deposit of RM4,000 to the 61-year-old.

He said the goat trader began selling the stolen goats a day after the incident on Sunday through to yesterday, with 42 goats slaughtered and sold for between RM20,000 and RM30,000.

The police also seized the 10 remaining goats, a Toyota Hilux vehicle, a cell phone and RM700 cash,” he said.

He said the six men were remanded for seven days and the case was being investigated under Section 395/397 of the Penal Code.

“The two other men are believed to be in the Kulim and Padang Srai areas,” he said. – Bernama, October 23, 2019.