Since the start of 2026, police in the Zhetisu region have broken up nine criminal groups specializing in livestock theft. Owners have recovered 352 head of livestock, the website infohub.kz reports.
Over eight months, 62 livestock thefts were registered in the region. Those crimes involved 584 animals stolen, including 173 head of cattle, 299 head of small ruminants and 112 horses.
Police detained 29 suspects. The clearance rate for such crimes stood at 84.5%.
Of the 62 registered thefts, 46 occurred after the animals disappeared from pastures. Law enforcement officials cite the lack of control over livestock as one of the main causes.
The region has stepped up inspections of open grazing areas, animal transport routes, livestock collection points and facilities selling meat products.
Police recommend that owners keep track of where their animals are, tag them and register them. They also advise lighting farm buildings and installing surveillance cameras where possible.
If livestock goes missing, law enforcement officials urge owners to contact police immediately rather than waiting several days. This allows searches to begin sooner and improves the chances of finding the animals while the trail is still fresh.
Earlier, Kursiv reported that police had caught livestock thieves in the Karasai and Uygur districts of the Almaty region.