Sheep duffing from a farm in western Victoria, stolen animals valued at thousands of dollars

Highly organised criminals have stolen almost $140,000 of sheep in the largest theft of its kind in Victoria in recent history.

A devastated farmer has lost one third of his flock in a major livestock theft at Logan, executed by highly organised criminals who made off with 700 head of sheep.

Leading Senior Constable Dan O’Bree of the Proactive Policing Unit said the stolen ewes and lambs were worth about $140,000 and the theft was the largest of its kind in Victoria in recent memory.

The Victorian Farmers Federation has responded by calling for harsher penalties for livestock thefts, which were increasingly harming the industry.

“In 2022 livestock theft hit a 10 year high,” a spokesman for the organisation said.

“It is placing a mounting financial and emotional toll on farmers and costing them almost $2.8m in 2021 up from just under $2m the year before.”

Leading Senior Constable Dan O’Bree of the Proactive Policing Unit for Western Region Division 5, outside Bendigo Police Station. Picture: Julieanne Strachan

The true figures are suspected to be much higher, as the crime is often unreported.

Constable O’Bree said the theft from the Logan farm would have taken at least three to four people, skilled dogs and heavy vehicles to pull off.

“We believe about 200 Merino ewes with purple ear tags and 500 white Suffolk Merino Cross lambs with red ear tags were stolen from the farm on Gowar-Logan Road between October 21, 2022 and February 1, 2023,” he said.

“The lambs had not been shorn yet and it is late in the season for that, so we are hoping they will stand out for that reason and somebody may recognise having seen them.”

The Victorian Farmers Federation called for a beefing up of police investigators tasked with solving these kinds of crimes.

“We want the creation of a specialist Rural and Farm Crime Squad to sit within Victoria Police Crime Command,” the spokesman said.

“We want to retain and support Farm Crime Liaison Officers and the Farm Crime Coordination Unit.

“We want the development of crime prevention education, tools and strategies that are purpose built to address criminal activity on farms and in rural areas. And a review of the sentences and penalties that have been handed down for farm crimes to identify opportunities for tougher penalties, especially for trespass offences.”

The federation spokesman said it would be very difficult to know where the animals had gone after they were taken from the Logan farm.

Investigators believe the stock may have been moved interstate.

The thieves may have used portable fencing and at least two four decker trucks for transport if the theft occurred on just one day.

Property owners did not notice the sheep missing from the property until February 1, as the last full stock count occurred on October 21, 2022.

Logan is a tiny town located at the intersection of Bendigo-St Arnaud Rd and Logan-Wedderburn Rd in the Loddon Shire.

Police were notified as soon as the missing sheep were noticed.

Livestock theft is a matter of priority for police, with farm liaison officers stationed in each division specifically for livestock and machinery theft.

Of the 212 livestock thefts recorded across Victoria last year there was one arrest, but 183 incidents remain unsolved.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report online.