[:en]The following media statement has the intention to warn red meat producers, abattoirs, auctioneers, livestock agents and transporters of livestock.
1. Currently there are eleven (11) livestock theft and one (1) fraud case under investigation against a prisoner who is serving a sentence in corrections for theft of livestock and most of these cases are currently on trial. The prisoner started around 2013 with his whole action to commit livestock theft from inside correctional centers and has never ever since stopped with this activity. The crimes are normally committed with illegal cell phones that the prisoner obtains as contraband to commit the offences. Various efforts have been made by the authorities to stop the malpractice without any success.
2. In general the prisoner uses the name “Andries Vrede” and speaks Afrikaans fluently. The prisoner normally contacts speculators, auctioneers and abattoirs to sell livestock to them. He sometimes pretends to be an emerging farmer who is currently in prison on the charge of culpable homicide and he wishes to sell off all his cattle to pay for his appeal cost. He then further indicates that he only works through his attorney to buy or sell the cattle and that the necessary “contracts” will compiled. In all these cases the attorneys themselves fall for his “scam” and become his victims as well.
3. The prisoner does have extreme good knowledge of recent cattle prices as he is a thorough supporter of agricultural magazines and study the content while in prison. When auctioneers or speculators show no interest to purchase the animals, he then approaches transporters who he identifies from advertisements in the magazines. It is then organized that the cattle be loaded by the transporter. He is normally in good contact with the transporters and directs them to the cattle. His normal excuse in this regard is that he is at a congress for farmers or at a meeting and therefore he cannot be present. His “workers” will assist the transporter with the loading of the cattle when he arrives. In essence, the transporter then actually commits the offence on his behalf. The workers that the culprit uses are normally old criminals released from prison, contacts and people who visit him in prison.
4. Over a period of three years approximately 700 head of cattle were stolen in this manner resulting in a loss of R7.7 million. In some cases the cattle were found by the Stock Theft Units and returned to the owners. In other cases the cattle were sold at auctions or slaughtered in abattoirs.
5. Red meat producers in the following towns: Theunissen, Bultfontein, Winburg, Welkom, Hennenman and Kroonstad has been victims to this practice and must be extremely alert. Speculators in Heilbron, Frankfort, Wesselsbron and Gauteng has also been contacted by the prisoner for possible deals without success.
6. The prisoner in the last month developed a new ‘scam” where he approaches red meat producers who advertise cattle for sale in agricultural magazines. Currently there are three (3) cases under investigation where he clinched the deal and where he then has sent a fraudulent SMS indicating that the money was being paid via electronic funds transfer. The red meat producer then delivers the cattle to where it was agreed upon just to later realises, when it is too late, that it was indeed a fraudulent transaction.
If there is any suspicion that you may be a victim(s) of this prisoner, please contact your nearest Stock Theft Unit or Lt.Col Gert Jonker at 082 372 2093 or W/O Henry Greeff at 082 452 0372 or the the Heilbron Stock Theft Unit at (058) 853 5242.
[:za]Die volgende is ‘n verklaring en dien as waarskuwing aan alle rooivleisprodusente, spekulante, afslaers, abattiors en transporteerders van vee.
1. Daar is tans (11) veediefstal- en (1) bedrogsaak ondersoeke teen ‘n persoon wat tans vonnis uitdien vir veediefstal, waarop die sake reeds op verhoor is. Die persoon het min of meer vanaf 2013 begin om veediefstal te pleeg vanuit die gevangenis, en is tans nog besig. Die persoon is gewoonlik in besit van ‘n onwettige selfoon wat op ‘n onverklaarbare manier by hom uitkom, en dan sodoende transaksies uit die tronk reël.
2. Die persoon gebruik gewoonlik andere name soos “Andries Vrede”. Hy is vloeiend in Afrikaans. Hy kontak spekulante, afslaers en abattoirs om vee aan hulle te verkoop. Hy doen hom partykeer ook voor as ‘n opkomende boer wat tans in die tronk is vir ‘n aanklag van Strafbare manslag en wat van sy beeste wil verkoop om die saak op appèl te neem. Hy sal ook verder verduidelik dat hy net deur sy prokureur werk om die beeste te verkoop by wyse van ‘n “verkoop-kontrakte” wat opgestel word deur die prokureurs. Die prokureurs hulself, trap dan ook in die strik.
3. Die persoon het goeie agtergrond van die beespryse, aangesien hy sekere landbou tydskrifte in die tronk sit en bestudeer. Indien die afslaers of spekulante nie belangstel om die beeste te koop nie, reël hy sy eie transport deur transporteerders se selfoon of telefoon nommers te bekom in tydskrifte. Dan reël hy om die beeste te gaan oplaai. Die transporteerders gaan laai gewoonlik die beeste, en pleeg dan die “veediefstal” onwetend. Hulle vervoer dan die vee na abattoirs of veeveilings. Die persoon is gewoonlik in kontak met die transporteerders en verduidelik hulle gewoonlik waar om te vee te gaan laai. Sy verdere verduideliking, met die laai van die beeste, is dat hy by een of ander boere kongres is of ‘n vergadering bywoon, en dat hy self nie daar kan wees nie. Sy “werkers” sal gewoonlik help met die laai van die beeste, gewoonlik ou kriminele of kontakte wat hy buite die tronk ken, of wat hom gewoonlik besoek en die reëlings tref.
4. Daar is oor die tydperk vanaf 2013 tot 2015, sowat 700 beeste op dié wyse gesteel wat R7.7 miljoen aan verlies beloop. Die veediefstaleenheid het van die beeste betyds terug gevind en aan vee-eienaars terugbesorg. Ander beeste is egter reeds geslag of verkoop.
5. Boere in die volgende dorpe, naamlik Theunissen Bultfontein, Winburg, Welkom, Hennenman en Kroonstad het al deurgeloop onder die veediefstalle. Spekulante of transporteerders in dorpe soos Heilbron, Frankfort, Wesselsbron en Gauteng is ook al gekontak deur die persoon, wat dan probeer om transaksies te reël sonder sukses.
6. Die persoon is tans besig met ‘n nuwe slenter deur boere direk te kontak om beeste van hulle aan te koop. Daar is reeds drie (3) voorvalle in Oktober 2015, waar boere ingedoen is deurdat die beeste by hulle aangekoop is en waar hulle dan ‘n “SMS” kry wat bevestig dat die geld in hul bankrekening inbetaal is. Hy tref dan reëlings met die boer om die vee na ‘n plek te neem wat hy vooraf gereël het en waar die beeste dan afgelaai moet word. Die boere sal later agterkom dat daar geen geld in sy rekening inbetaal is nie wat dan uiteraard reeds te laat is.
Indien u vermoed dat u aan enige van hierdie bedrywighede blootgestel word, kontak u naaste Veediefstaleenheid of kontak Lt.Kol Gert Jonker by 082 372 2093 of A/O Henry Greeff 082 452 0372 of die Heilbron Veediefstaleenheid by (058) 853 5242.
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