Three men are accused of participating in a cattle theft and export scheme that involved the theft of over 300 cows worth over $250,000 from a remote area of Western Australia.
The Louisa Downs Pastoral Aboriginal Corporation station, close to Broome, is where police claim a camp was established.
In October 2022, earth moving equipment is said to have been utilized to build a road leading to the nearby Mount Pierre Pastoral Aboriginal Corporation station in Louisa Downs.
It is said that 306 cows were mustered from Mount Pierre Station to a temporary cattle yard along this route.
The weeks-long effort to steal the cattle before they were trucked to the Northern Territory also reportedly involved the employment of two helicopters and bull capture buggies.
“There were no permissions sought or granted to muster cattle from Mount Pierre Station,” according to authorities.
Police stormed a house on the Adelaide River in the Northern Territory in January after conducting a thorough investigation.
Officers discovered that some of the cattle were purportedly exported and sold.
“The average price for the cattle sold at the time was $827.09 per head multiplied by 306 cattle taken, equalled $253,089.54,” according to police.
According to police allegations, three men’s accounts received many months’ worth of cattle auction proceeds.
Three men, ages 42, from the Northern Territory, two from Fitzroy Crossing, and 39 and 41 from Fitzroy Crossing were all accused of stealing.
Fitzroy Crossing Magistrates Court will hear the Fitzroy Crossing men on Tuesday, while the Northern Territory man will appear on July 9.
