Bull semen valued at $100,000 is among the items allegedly stolen in a wagyu cattle theft case uncovered by police in rural Australia.
A 34-year-old man from Grafton, in northern New South Wales, is facing 20 charges, including cattle theft and obtaining financial advantage by deception, for allegedly stealing over 100 cattle from his employer.
A veterinarian, allegedly contacted by the 34-year-old, also faces animal cruelty charges for allegedly neglecting to provide treatment to some of the cattle.
The cattleman was instructed by his employer to sell 200 cattle but is accused of arranging the sale of 114 animals, including 45 valuable full-blood wagyu cows, to himself in January 2024.
Police allege this sale resulted in a discount of nearly $100,000, as the man acquired the herd through a third party at a significantly reduced price.
Detective Chief Inspector Cameron Whiteside, from the NSW Police’s Rural Crime Prevention Team, stated that Strike Force Newbury, a rural crime police unit, had been investigating the alleged fraud for over a year.
He stated that police “conservatively” estimated the value of each cow at approximately $3,000.
A search warrant execution allegedly revealed a liquid nitrogen storage tank containing the bull semen.
Whiteside stated that the semen was valued at approximately $100,000, due to the high value of wagyu beef.
“We’re talking hundreds of thousands of dollars. But that’s just on face value,” he said. “Then you’ve got to look at the future benefit, or the breeding capabilities of that stock also.” Embryos intended for breeding were also reportedly part of the alleged theft.
Following a search of the 34-year-old’s property, police reportedly instructed him to seek veterinary attention for six Wagyu bulls.
Police allege the veterinarian produced false documents stating he had treated the cattle without actually doing so, and two of the bulls subsequently died.
The veterinarian has been charged with committing an aggravated act of animal cruelty and failing to provide veterinary treatment.
He was granted bail and is scheduled to appear at Grafton Local Court on August 11.
Whiteside explained that the complex investigation involved numerous components and required the support of five horse-mounted police officers to execute warrants, as well as specialist rural crime police from across the state. In addition to two primary investigators, officers from New England, Dubbo, and southern NSW also provided assistance.
Whiteside described the alleged offenses as “quite complex”.
The 34-year-old faces 20 charges, including cattle theft, animal cruelty, and obtaining financial advantage by deception.
He was also granted bail and is scheduled to appear at Grafton Local Court on August 4.
