Police in the Kavango East and West Regions are urging local communities to assist in tackling a range of crimes, particularly stock theft, which has become a major concern.

A 45-year-old man was arrested on stock theft charges after he was caught with 14 stolen Bonsmara studs from Farm Omantumba in the Hochfeld area of Okahandja District, Otjozondjupa Region.

The cattle are valued at N$426,000.

The Namibian Police in the Zambezi Region have advised Meatco to beef up security at its Kopano Quarantine Camp, where stock theft is becoming rife at the government facility. 

The Meat Corporation of Namibia has 900 cattle quarantined there.

Located about 200 km north of Otjiwarongo,Coblenz settlement residents blame the police's slow reaction time to crime for the increase in stock theft in the area.

Just this week, residents found the internal organs and skins of about 20 goats and sheep under a bridge five kilometres from Coblenz.

Farming communities in the Omaheke Region are objecting to the granting of bail to suspects who are involved in stock theft.

The group is of the opinion that stock theft has become a serious concern in recent years, and this has robbed them of their livelihoods.

A discontented assembly of farmers gathered at Rehoboth and Okahandja over the escalating incidences of stock theft in their areas.

The police in the Kavango West Region have cautioned residents and farmers to be vigilant about the rising stock theft.

Since the beginning of the year farming communities in the Epukiro Constituency have lost more than 170 livestock to thieves.

The repeated release of suspected stock theft criminals on bail is contributing to rampant stock theft at Otjimbingwe.

This is according to community members who have called on the police and courts not to grant bail to suspects with pending cases.

High stock theft cases in the Omaheke Region's Aminuis Constituency are causing concern among farming communities.

Farmers say they are losing donkeys and small stock, and more than 50 animals were stolen during the past two months.