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Sheep rustlers frustrate WBD farmers
Sheep farmers on the West Bank of Demerara are no longer comfortable doing business. At least three persons have come forward to complain of losing dozens of sheep at a time. Altogether, they have lost in over sixty head of sheep from December to now.
Sheep Farmer, Mohamed Rafeek
Sheep Farmer, Laikram Jaikaran called ‘Kang’
Mohamed Rafeek, a 50-year-old part time market vendor, has pegged his losses as being in excess of half a million dollars.
“Was big, nice size ram sheep…all the efforts wha me put into ‘minding’ them things gone down the drain,” the Lot 93 Independence Road, La Grange resident Rafeek told Kaieteur News.
The average price for a sheep is $30,000. The animal’s meat is sold for approximately $500 per pound.
“I feel that people buying these sheep from them thieves this, and them minding it, because remember, sheep is nah really like cow wha people does brand them, so you can’t know,” the farmer explained.
He said that the day after lodging a report at La Grange Police Station, he received a call from ranks, who summoned him to the station.
“They said that dem find some sheep and that I must come see if is me own, so I went.”
But when Rafeek got there, he got a bit of a shocker.
“I couldn’t believe it. When the police carry me to the lil pen fuh identify the sheep, I look around and all I see was sheer goat. Imagine, the police can’t tell the difference between sheep and goat. I don’t know wha this world turning to,” Rafeek related.
The farmer feels that thieves have been running a “sheep racket” on the West Bank of Demerara.
“It look like dem does come around every couple months. Me think like when dem thief a set, it does tek them lil time to sell it, and when it sell, like is then dem ah come back fuh thief more,” Rafeek said.
Another La Grange farmer counting losses is Laikram Jaikaran called ‘Kang,’ who took two hits. The first was on Boxing Day, when six sheep went missing.
“We had the usual enjoyment thing, suh like we didn’t pay much attention to the pens,” man told Kaieteur News. A week later, his yard was hit again, and 14 more sheep were gone.
“I had about 53 sheep, but with this thing that going on around here, I can’t tek it anymore. I can’t deal with dem losses this, so I hurry and sell out most ah the sheep that me had. I only leff back with like six and me ga really watch dem da carefully,” “Kang” said.
Another resident named Talibu is also counting his losses after losing 18 sheep.
Some of the empty sheep pens
The farmers are of the belief that residents of the area might be involved in informing the “sheep thieves” regarding the best time to strike.
“When dem guh rob me, me bin deh market selling. Dem come late Friday night, suh by time Saturday morning when me reach home, the pen bin done empty,” Rafeek said.
The men, who have all lodged police complaints at the La Grange Police Station, are also of the strong believe that the thieves are from the neighbouring La Parfaite Harmonie Housing Scheme.
“It got to be, dem gat a set ah thieves in deh,” Rafeek said.
He added, “plus, I hear about a guy who lose 30 sheep at Goed Fortuin (WBD), but he gone overseas and me na think dem report it to the police…and we hearing about people from Crane on the West Coast (Demerara) and so.”
Meanwhile, Divisional Commander, Leslie James told Kaieteur News that the incidents seem isolated, and would therefore not be counted as part of a “sheep racket.”
“Well, as you would know, one of the incidents occurred since December last year, so I don’t that it’s a racket. But what I can tell you, is that we haven’t had many reports of people stealing sheep and so over here,” James maintained.
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