COPS have seized 83 suspected stolen dogs from a traveller site and arrested six people in a huge police investigation. Suffolk Constabulary said the animals were found during a 10-hour search of the West Meadows site on the outskirts of Ipswich on Saturday afternoon. Over 80 suspected stolen dogs of various breeds and ages were […]
COPS have seized 83 suspected stolen dogs from a traveller site and arrested six people in a huge police investigation.
Suffolk Constabulary said the animals were found during a 10-hour search of the West Meadows site on the outskirts of Ipswich on Saturday afternoon.
Over 80 suspected stolen dogs of various breeds and ages were recovered by officers in the sting operation.
It is thought to potentially be the highest number of suspected stolen dogs to be recovered in a single police operation in the UK.
Three women aged 35, 41 and 46, two 34-year-old men and a 38-year-old man, all from Ipswich, were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to steal.
All six have been released on bail until April 16 pending further inquiries.
Suffolk police said they will now begin identifying the dogs’ owners and will be liaising with other forces in the East Anglia region – as many of the animals are suspected to have been stolen from outside the county.
And a further four people were fined during the search of the site after officers found breaches of Covid-19 regulations, police said.
Dispersal notices were given to several others, the force added.
Detective Chief Superintendent Eamonn Bridger said dog theft had become a “particular problem” across the country since the first lockdown 12 months ago due to the value and demand for certain breeds.
He added: “We recognise that these crimes have a significant impact on the families affected and we will continue to disrupt criminals wherever we have information that we can act upon.
“I know many victims of these crimes will be anxious to know whether or not we have recovered their pet.
“I would like to reassure them that we are working as quickly as possible to identify who all the dogs belong to and aim to reunite them with their owners as soon as we can.”
A dispersal order was put in place at the site to “minimise the likelihood of any further crime or disorder”, the force said.
The order gives police officers the power to exclude a person from an area for a period of up to 48 hours.
Tim Passmore, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Suffolk, described the seizure of so many suspected stolen dogs as “great work of national significance”.
He added: “Congratulations and thanks to all those involved.”
Suffolk Rural & Wildlife Policing tweeted: “This was a long, busy day but worth the effort to know these dogs are in our care now. We all need to work harder together to eradicate this wicked crime, which causes so much heartache.”
Ipswich Conservative MP Tom Hunt has previous called for tougher penalties for dog thieves.
Mr Hunt said last year: “Our pets are being snatched away from us in record numbers just when we need their companionship the most. Organised crime groups are planning and ruthlessly executing the thefts of our cherished pets.
“They know the money they can make from breeding pedigrees and selling puppies for a quick profit, yet we’re fighting this growing tide with outdated and underpowered laws.
“The risk of small fines will not stop this type of organised crime.”
