Central West, NSW: Four men charged for allegedly hunting and killing cattle
A special crime investigation unit has charged four men following a spate of deaths and thefts of farm animals.
A group of four men have been charged over allegedly illegally hunting and killing farm animals in the New South Wales Central West region.
Police from the Rural Crime Prevention Team launched an investigation on December 14 last year following the deaths of two cross-breed ewes and the theft of three cross-breed lambs from a property at Mullion Creek, north of Orange.
The NSW Police Rural Crime Prevention Team is a unit which investigates crimes on agricultural, pastoral and aquaculture industries.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Following extensive inquiries, investigators executed a search warrant at a home in Quakers hill at about 6am on Wednesday 9 September.
A 32-year-old man was arrested at the property where police seized 10 registered firearms, ammunition, mobile telephones and other electronic storage devices.
The man was taken to Riverstone Police Station where he was charged with five counts of killing cattle with intent to steal, as well as killing, hunting, shooting or poisoning an animal in a forestry area.
He was also charged with possessing or discharging a firearm in a forestry area, and not safely keeping a firearm.
The man was was granted conditional bail and will appear before Orange Local Court on November 26.
A second warrant was executed non the same day at a home in Merrylands.
During the search, police seized six registered firearms, ammunition and mobile telephones.
Following further investigation, police executed another search warrant on the afternoon of September 14 at a home in Little Hartley where a blue-handled knife was seized.
The following day at 5.45am, police executed a fourth search warrant at a home in Wiley Park.
A 36-year-old man was arrested and police seized six firearms, ammunition and electronic devices.
The man was taken to Campsie Police Station where he was charged with five counts of killing cattle with intent to steal; lacking approved storage of a firearm as a holder of a Category A or B license; and killing, shooting or poisoning an animal in a forestry area.
He was granted conditional bail and will appear before Orange Local Court on November 19.
At 1.30pm on Monday, a 51-year-old man linked to the same series of cattle killings was arrested at Granville Police Station on five counts of killing cattle with intent to steal; killing, hunting, shooting or poisoning an animal in a forestry area; and possessing or discharging a firearm in a forestry area.
The man was granted strict bail conditions and will appear before Parramatta Local Court on December 2.
Following further inquiries stemming from the three previous arrests, police executed another search warrant at a home in Schofields at 6am on Tuesday where they arrested a fourth man and seized a firearm, ammunition, mobile telephones, and other electronic storage devices.
The 26-year-old was taken to Riverstone Police Station where he was charged with five counts of killing cattle with intent to steal; and two counts of killing, shooting or poisoning an animal in a forestry area.
He was granted conditional bail and will appear before Orange Local Court on November 26.
