Police in Kitwe have apprehended one suspect while four others escaped after they were allegedly caught in the act of skinning two slaughtered cattle suspected to have been stolen from Luanshya District.
Copperbelt Police chief Rae Hamoonga said officers acting on a tip-off raided a residence in Garneton Township and recovered carcasses believed to be from the two animals, one black and the other brown.
Police also seized a red Toyota Sienta motor vehicle, registration number BCG 6947, allegedly linked to the suspected theft.
Mr Hamoonga said the incident occurred between Saturday 22:00 hours and Sunday 06:10 hours and was reported to Luanshya Central Police Station.
He said around 05:45 hours on Sunday, police received information that five unidentified men were busy skinning two slaughtered cattle at a house in Garneton.
Officers swiftly moved in and managed to apprehend one suspect, identified as Tilimbali Nyirenda, 36, of Kitwe, while his four alleged accomplices fled before they could be rounded up.
The suspect has since been charged with being in possession of property reasonably suspected to have been stolen or unlawfully obtained and is currently in police custody.
Mr Hamoonga said investigations had been launched to establish the source and ownership of the recovered cattle and to track down the four suspects still on the run.
He appealed to cattle owners in Luanshya and surrounding areas who may have recently lost livestock to come forward and help identify the recovered animals.
Police believe the recovered carcasses may provide a crucial lead in unravelling what appears to be a livestock theft syndicate operating between Luanshya and Kitwe.
