NSW Police raid Kyeamba farm, seize Angus cattle and computers, in fraud investigation

Police have raided a Wagga Wagga district farm, seizing cattle and computers as part of an investigation into a suspected $2 million cattle fraud.

NSW Police examine and record cattle at Kyeamba suspected of being part of cattle fraud. Picture: Supplied

UPDATE: NSW Police are investigating an alleged $2 million cattle fraud involving the sale and trading of Angus cattle in the Riverina region.

Led by NSW Police’s Rural Crime Prevention Unit, Strike Force Seger was set up in April this year to investigate the suspected fraud.

They raided a property at Kyeamba south of Wagga Wagga on Tuesday to seize computers, documentation and Angus cows and calves for examination.

The taskforce was still at the property yesterday.

Riverina Police District commander Superintendent Bob Noble said police had mustered more than 400 Angus cattle on the property and some of them had been seized.

Supt Noble said the animals would be checked over before being returned to their rightful owners.
“Further examination and investigation is ongoing with respect to the rest of that mob (of cattle),” he said.

Supt Noble said local farmers had been devastated in recent times.

“Our farming community is suffering at the moment with recent droughts and bushfires, so to go through loss of stock on top of that is devastating,” Supt Noble said.

“Our rural crime prevention team and local police have been working tirelessly over the past two days to recover stock and work through documentation believed to be related to fraudulent activity.

“We will ensure those who are taking part in this are dealt with accordingly.

“We do believe this is not an isolated incident and it is going to be an investigation of some scale and will go on for some time.

“It could be described as organised crime in relation to the rural industry.”

Supt Noble urged people who had knowledge about the cattle operation to come forward.

Inquiries are continuing, and charges are expected to be laid.

NSW Police said that since 2002, there had been a 94 per cent increase in the number of dedicated and specialised police employees targeting rural crime.