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Cattle rustlers outsmart police with new theft scheme in Berbice
By Shervin Belgrave
(Kaieteur News) – Cattle rustlers in Berbice have devised a new and brazen method to steal livestock, branding calves before their rightful owners can- effectively beating police and farmers at their own game.
The scheme emerged after police intervention last year forced thieves to abandon their usual tactics of hauling unbranded cattle out of Region Six. Instead of transporting stolen animals by truck, rustlers are now racing to illegally brand calves in the backlands, then laying claim to them as their own. In August last year, Kaieteur News reported that cattle rustling was spiraling out of control in Berbice, costing farmers millions of dollars. At the time, Police Commander of Region Six, Shivpersaud Bacchus, confirmed the spike in theft but also pointed to farmers’ failure to brand calves, particularly those older than six months as a major obstacle to investigations.
Cattle in the Berbice Backlands.
“They are not branding the animals, especially calves over six months old,” Bacchus said then, noting that the absence of identification makes it difficult for police to establish ownership. He also criticised farmers for privately settling cases after arrests are made, often when workers are implicated. Following that report, thefts dipped briefly. But in 2026, rustlers returned with a smarter, faster approach.
Kaieteur News was invited to Berbice once again to investigate cattle rustling. This time, the thieves are racing against time to brand calves before the rightful owners can brand them. Kaieteur News learnt that Cattle farmers began noticing that their calves and even adult cattle began to disappear but they did not have a clue about who might be stealing them. One day however, a farmer, noticed his heifer, a female cow, whose calf had gone missing, was calling out for its young because its udder was filled with milk. A calf responded to its call but when it showed up it was branded with a brand that did not belong to them. The calf began suckling on the heifer and it was only then that farmers began realising that the thieves have found a new way to steal their cattle. The farmers decided to launch their own investigation because they did not have much faith in reporting the matter to police without gathering some evidence of their own.
Cattle Farmer, “Teddy Bear” leaving his yard to meet with Kaieteur News reporters.
When they gathered enough information overseas-based Guyanese, Ron Soogrim and a group of farmers made it their duty to invite Kaieteur News to Berbice. Speaking with Kaieteur News on Sunday, one cattle farmer, Gobin Roopram, also known as “Quaky” accused some of their colleague cattle farmers using their workers to “brand out everybody cattle.” He added, “them come and them just pay their workman them and them just give their workmen them the branding and dem just branding all the calf them manage to ketch with them brand.” “And when we go and ketch back the calf them that they brand, they refuse to give us back the calf”, Roopram continued, while highlighting that one of the suspects owes them 21 calves.
Overseas Guyanese Businessman, Ron Soogrim.
After the suspect was identified he claimed it was a mistake and agreed to pay for 11 calves but refused to pay Roopram for the other 10. Two other cattle farmers, a father and a son Kevin and Vickram Persaud, said that they have lost 25 out their 180 head of cattle to the thieves. In their case, the thieves did not only brand their new-born calves but also rebranded some of their cattle. The elder Persaud said after he was able to identify one of the suspects, they confronted him and he had promised to give them back the animal but has reneged.
Cattle farmer, Chanderkumar Ramdass.
A fourth cattle farmer, Chanderkumar Ramdass, related that not only have the thieves stole his cattle, but also his horse, which he uses to go into the backlands to check on his cattle. “Me horse wa deh behind my house, dem man come and thief meh horse, the savannah dem man brand me calf, now dem tell me, now dem tell meh dem a guh pay me back but me nah want payment, me a poor man”, he told Kaieteur News while adding that he wants back his animals. He said he had over 80 heads of cattle but now he is only left with 25. Meanwhile Ron Soogrim a cattle farmer who too continues to suffer losses iterated that he wants to the public to be aware of how cattle thieves are causing a major setback in the sector. “I have to stand-up to help out these farmers in the Berbice Region where we are here at 75 Village, so I am standing in front of all these farmers to assist them with the cattle rustling that is happening in this area”, he noted.
Cattle Farmer, Gobin Roopram.
Authorities have been struggling to put an end to cattle rustling. Late last year Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha met with cattle farmers from Enmore on the East Coast of Demerara amid mounting incidents of cattle rustling that threaten livelihoods and the future of livestock production in the area. The meeting had followed an earlier engagement between the farmers and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, during which rustling was identified as one of the most urgent challenges facing the sector. Farmers warned that unchecked theft is eroding confidence, income, and long-term sustainability.
Cattle farmers, Kevin and Vickram Persaud.
During discussions, Minister Mustapha acknowledged that cattle rustling has been an ongoing problem and assured farmers that the Ministry of Agriculture has been working closely with the Guyana Police Force to implement practical and effective interventions. He emphasised that improved coordination and stronger on-the-ground responses remain a priority. He also underscored the importance of proper animal identification to aid law enforcement efforts. “You also have to put measures in place to assist with identifying your animals because I know a lot of these animals are not branded. It is very difficult for the police to identify these animals when they are not branded,” he said then.
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One thought on “Cattle rustlers outsmart police with new theft scheme in Berbice”
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The laws should have been changed when CATTLE RUSTLING is prevalent.
It needs stiffer penalties for those caught in this crimewave.
Otherwise, farmers whose cattle are stolen must be allowed to take matters
into their hands. They must be allowed guns to protect their livestock.
No use granted guns and cannot use them. They must be granted permission,
since the crime is prevalent.