Subordinates In West Sumba Steal Employers' Livestock

East Sumba Police Chief AKBP E. Total T. Umbu Kaledi when giving a press statement to reporters regarding the theft of livestock in East Sumba, Wednesday (16/10/2024). (ANTARA)

Police officers at the East Sumba Police, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province arrested six suspects in the theft of a horse farm belonging to a resident with the initials UP in Matawai Pawali Village, Lewa District, West Sumba Regency.

East Sumba Police Chief AKBP E. Total T. Umbu Kaledi was contacted from Kupang, Wednesday saying that the six suspects were arrested on Tuesday night.

"The six suspects were revealed after investigators arrested Y, who is a cattle herder who became the motorbike behind the theft of UP's horse which was his own employer," saidtengan, quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, October 16.

AKBP E.menjelaskan bahwa terungkapnya kasus ini bermula ketika saksi E, dalam perjalanan pulang dari sekolah, melihat tersangka MKL alias Y (39 tahun) warga Desa Matawai Pawali, Lewa, menangkap dan menjerat satu yang diketahui milik korban UP pada 9 Oktober 2024 lalu.

Feeling suspicious, E immediately informed the victim's relatives of UP, who later confirmed that UP never gave Y permission to catch his livestock.

The victim immediately searched and managed to find the horse tied in the forest in the grazing area.

Knowing that his actions had been revealed, suspect Y then went into hiding. UP then reported the case to the police and the police immediately went to the location and immediately found a horse with a nylon rope used by suspect Y.

Y is known not only to steal one horse, but also three cows and one other horse in the 2023 to 2024 period.

On October 12, 2024, the police arrested suspect Y, who later admitted to stealing not only one horse, but also three cows and one other horse in the period 2023 to 2024.

The stolen animals were secretly sold to a resident of Kondamara Village, Lewa District, known as suspect R (35 years).

The suspect Y's confession paved the way for the arrest of suspect R. From R's statement, it was revealed that he had indeed bought three cows and one stolen horse without any ownership documents.

Suspect R also mentioned that in carrying out his actions suspect Y was assisted by four of his friends, namely UN (24 years), UR (20 years), D (21 years), and P (49 years), who are also residents of Matawai Village, Pawali.

Furthermore, AKBP E. aired, said that currently the six suspects have been detained at the Lewa Police State Detention Center, East Sumba Police.

Suspect Y is suspected of committing the crime of theft of animals (Article 363 of the Criminal Code), with a maximum prison sentence of seven years, then suspect R, is suspected of having served (article 480 of the Criminal Code), with a threat of up to four years in prison.

"Meanwhile, UN, UR, D, and P are suspected of helping hold (Article 363 and 480 of the Criminal Code) with the same penalty as the main actor, namely seven years." continued AKBP E.