In what has been described as a possible breakthrough against those suspected of stealing cattle in Tyrone and Armagh, the PSNI, along with DARD’s Veterinary Service Enforcement Branch (VSEB) visited two farm premises in the south Tyrone area on Tuesday morning of this week.

One man was arrested at a farm in the Benburb/Tullysaran area and taken for interview to Lurgan police station. He is believed to have been charged with handling stolen goods.

On enquiry, a DARD spokesperson confirmed that its officials had assisted the PSNI in the operation. “VSEB officers are conducting livestock and documentary inspections and gathering evidence at both locations. As this is a live investigation, DARD cannot disclose any further details at this point,” said the spokesperson.

Also commenting on the operation, PSNI Inspector Keith Jamieson confirmed that a 39-year-old man has been arrested and is currently assisting police with their enquiries.

In recent times, counties Armagh and Tyrone have become the hot spot for livestock thefts, with Justice Minister David Ford recently confirming that the two counties had the worst statistics for livestock theft out of the 32 counties in Ireland.

The latest figures from the PSNI highlight that eight instances of cattle theft have been reported in the Dungannon and south Tyrone area alone up to November of this year. However, while there have been some arrests made in the past, there have been few, if any, convictions secured.

Meanwhile, a Monaghan man, understood to have farming interests in Northern Ireland appeared in Navan District Court earlier this week in connection with an investigation into the theft of cattle in border counties. His case has been adjourned until 13 February 2015.