The Central Police Investigation Bureau’s Board in Wrocław, under the supervision of the Lower Silesian Branch of the National Prosecutor’s Office in Wrocław, is conducting proceedings concerning an organized criminal group suspected of stealing cattle in Germany. According to investigators, several hundred head of beef cattle worth approximately €300,000 were stolen.
The case was conducted in cooperation with the German side. CBŚP officers identified people who may have been connected with the thefts, as well as a vehicle used to transport the stolen animals. The evidence gathered made it possible to carry out coordinated operations in Poland and Germany.
As a result of the operation, two Polish citizens, aged 41 and 46, were arrested. One of the men was arrested in Lubusz Voivodeship. The other, after German services were notified, was arrested in Germany.
The man arrested in Poland was brought before the Lower Silesian Branch of the National Prosecutor’s Office in Wrocław. He was charged, among other things, with participating in an organized criminal group and burglary involving cattle in Germany. At the prosecutor’s request, the court ordered him to be held in temporary custody.
The second suspect is currently in custody in Germany. He is awaiting the completion of the procedure related to the execution of a European Arrest Warrant. After he is brought to Poland, he is to be charged with directing and participating in an organized criminal group and burglary involving cattle in Germany.
One of the most important elements of the actions carried out was securing the animals. CBŚP officers discovered 159 head of cattle of various beef breeds. Veterinary specialists also worked at the site and collected samples from the animals.
The material will undergo identification and be compared with data in databases concerning locations where cattle were stolen in Germany. This will make it possible to establish whether the secured animals came from crimes covered by the ongoing proceedings.
The investigation is ongoing. Officers are identifying additional people who may have been connected with the thefts and are examining the group’s full scope of activity. At this stage, investigators do not rule out further arrests.