Colombo, Feb 22 (Daily Mirror) - In a bid to address the rising issue of cattle theft plaguing the dairy farmers nationwide, Police have initiated a special programme under the 'Yukthiya' operation, with the support of intelligence units, to crack down on cattle thieves.

Police said dairy farmers raising cows all over the country had complained that their cows were being stolen by cattle thieves on various occasions.

They said that various requests were also received from government officials in relevant fields in this regard. Acting Inspector General of Police Deshabandu Tennakoon, after examining relevant statistics and discussing with senior police officers, including those from the Civil Defense Security Department, had conducted an investigation into this matter.

Analysis revealed that the North-Central Province is the hotspot for cattle thefts, although incidents have also been observed in the North-Western and Southern Provinces. Between January 1, 2023 and January 24, 2024, a total of 575 cows were reported stolen, with 336 thefts recorded in the North-Central Province alone. The total value of the stolen cattle exceeded Rs. 105 million, based on complainants' assessments.

Police said the stolen cows are predominantly utilized for meat. Accordingly, the Acting Inspector General of Police issued directives for the implementation of a specialized programme to curb this trend.

The initial phase of this programme will focus on the North-Central Province, with plans underway to extend its implementation to other provinces requiring attention across the island.