Butchered in the bushes

Cattle farmers in Colbeck, St Catherine, are living in fear as thieves repeatedly enter the community under the cover of darkness, steal their animals and slaughter them in nearby bushes in what the police suspect could be part of an illicit ‘meat for guns’ trade.

The latest attacks have left small farmers counting losses in the millions of dollars and accusing the thieves of becoming increasingly bold and sophisticated in their operations.

Farmers say the thieves typically strike between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m., targeting cattle that have been tied and leading them away from the main road before slaughtering them.

The animals are then butchered in secluded areas, with the thieves carrying away the meat while leaving behind the heads, intestines, hides, and other remains.

Farmers say more than 15 cattle have been slaughtered in the area over the past six months, including six within the past week and three on Sunday night.

The scale of the problem has now attracted the attention of the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Agricultural Protection Branch (APB), which says it has identified Colbeck and surrounding farming districts as areas affected by cattle theft.

Senior Superintendent of Police and commanding officer of APB Oral Pascoe told The Gleaner that since January 2026, there have been three separate incidents involving cattle in Colbeck and surrounding farming districts.

According to Pascoe, 17 bovine animals valued at approximately $6 million have been affected.

Nine of the animals, valued at approximately $4.5 million, were slaughtered and the meat stolen.

More troubling, he said, is intelligence suggesting that some of the incidents may be connected to an illicit trade in which stolen livestock is exchanged for firearms and ammunition.

“Preliminary investigations and intelligence gathered suggest that some of these incidents may be linked to an illicit ‘meat for guns’ trade whereby stolen livestock is slaughtered and exchanged for illegal firearms and ammunition,” Pascoe said.

The remaining eight animals, valued at approximately $1.6 million, were recovered by the APB, working with local farmers, and returned to their owners.

‘I was shocked’

For farmer Delbert Clarke, Sunday night’s attack was particularly painful.

Clarke awoke on Monday morning to discover that one of his cows, which had been nursing a five-month-old calf, was missing.

The cow was later found slaughtered in bushes, with only its head and entrails remaining.

Clarke estimated the value of the animal at about $400,000.

“The way I tied her I know she couldn’t get away, so I was shocked when someone told me they saw two cow head left under a tree in bushes,” he said.

Clarke later led The Gleaner team along a dirt road into a clearing where two cow heads and intestines could be seen beneath an ackee tree, with crows feasting on the remains.

He said the farmers are becoming increasingly frustrated because they believe they are not receiving enough assistance from the police to combat the attacks.

Clarke said the thieves are also becoming more brazen.

The fact that cattle are being removed from places where they are securely tied has also raised suspicions among farmers that the thieves may be receiving information from people familiar with the animals and their locations.

Farmer Deval Boswell, who cares for three cattle belonging to a friend, said he discovered on Sunday morning that the animals had disappeared.

He subsequently found evidence that the animals had been slaughtered.

“When I saw the belly, heads, and skin and the young calf they cut from the cow belly and leave it there, I was hurt,” he said.

Boswell said something must be done urgently, estimating his friend’s losses at approximately $1.5 million.

For the farmers, the losses go beyond the value of the animals.

Cattle represent years of investment, and for many small farmers, an important source of income and financial security.

Retired teacher Paul MaCalla was also among those hit on Sunday. Two of his cattle, including a cow he affectionately called ‘Nicey’, were stolen and slaughtered.

“I was alerted by a big black bull I have that was tied a little distance from my beloved Miss Nicey,” he said.

HEARD WAILING SOUNDS

MaCalla said the bull, which he calls Blacks, made three distinctive wailing sounds, which he heard from his house not far away.

“I shouted out, ‘Blacks, is everything OK?’. Because that’s how I communicate with my animals, and I didn’t hear him again, so I thought everything was fine.”

However, MaCalla later discovered that the thieves had managed to lead Nicey and another cow away.

He said the thieves were unable to take Blacks because of the bull’s size and temperament. MaCalla believes the criminals may have assistance from someone in the community given their apparent knowledge of where cattle are tethered.

He is particularly concerned that the animals are being removed without creating enough disturbance to alert their owners.

Pascoe said the police have responded to the problem with a series of measures aimed at disrupting the cattle thieves and protecting farmers.

Among the measures is the establishment of a Farm Watch Group in the Colbeck area designed to strengthen community vigilance, improve information sharing, and encourage the early reporting of suspicious activity.

The APB has also intensified day and night motorised and foot patrols in known farming areas as well as around abattoirs, markets, ports, and major thoroughfares used to transport animals.

Pascoe said targeted operations are also being conducted against known and suspected praedial larcenists operating in Colbeck and adjoining communities.

Those suspects, he said, have been identified and are being targeted through surveillance checks and arrests where sufficient evidence exists.

Despite the investigations and operations, no one has yet been arrested in connection with the cattle thefts in the Colbeck area.

The police are appealing to anyone with information that could assist the investigations to contact the JCF Police Emergency Communication Centre at 911, Crime Stop at 311, the APB Area 5 at (876) 617-9792, or the nearest police station.

The police said all information will be treated with the strictest confidence.

“The Jamaica Constabulary Force remains committed to protecting the livelihood of our farmers and the safety of all residents. I wish to reassure the farmers and residents of Colbeck that the JCF is doing everything in its power to stem the number of larcenies of cattle, not only in Colbeck but across the entire island of Jamaica,” said Pascoe.

editorial@gleanerjm.com