Sussex Poachers Arrested

SKB

Member
I was sent this press release from a friend who works at the Shooting Times as they know I stalk in Sussex. So glad to see the police allocating a proper resource to dealing with poaching.

This can only help law abiding stalkers and the welfare of deer which we all care about so passionately..

I thought this may be of interest to SD members.

I hope all forces are taking this stance. Lets hope the poachers get more than fines and slaps on the wrists.


SUSSEX POLICE NEWS SERVICE


Press Officer: Andy Freeman

Telephone: 01273 404173

Issue Date: 21/12/2009

No: 29302

Title: FIVE ARRESTED AFTER DAWN POACHING RAIDS

Sussex Police investigating a commercial deer poaching operation in the Rother district of East Sussex have made five arrests after a series of dawn raids this morning (Monday, December 21).

More than 50 officers, accompanied by colleagues from the National Wildlife Crime Unit, RSPCA, Trading Standards, Rother District Council and the British Association for Shooting and Conservation, executed warrants in Bexhill, Brightling, Ninfield, Robertsbridge, Saleshurst and Broad Oak, Heathfield. They seized a large number of fireams and animal carcasses and meat, including deer and wild boar.

Five men aged 21, 47, 49, 63 and 74, were arrested under suspicion of offences under the Deer Act 1991 and are now being questioned further about firearms and wildlife offences.

Alan Roberts, from the National Wildlife Crime Unit, who attended several of the locations, said: "Commercial poaching is a serious problem on various levels including public health, where meat is introduced illegally into the system, and public safety, as many of the deer are shot at night using high powered weapons.

"There is also a significant risk to animals not killed in a clinical, professional manner and with weapons not suitable for the size of beast."

Ch Insp Heather Keating, Rother district policing commander, said: "This is not a romanticised image of the local poacher taking 'one for the pot', but a highly organised and criminal taking of wild animals for big profits. We are responding to local concerns about the scale of the problem and will continue to react to any direct reports of poaching or evidence of its taking place, such as discarded deer heads, feet and entrails."

If anyone has information about poaching, they should contact 0845 60 70 999 and if in regard to these particular incidents, quote Operation Hallend.

Incident Reference: 180:21:12:2009
 
Yip, and cars,vans through the crusher as can happen with vihicles used in the execution of a crime/
Jim
 
A great xmas present for the poachers, and the police deserve a big pat on the back.
Hopefully the police down my way will find the resources to do the same.
Cheers
Richard
 
At last some posative action from the boys in blue. Good to hear that they are taking this type of criminal activity seriously, lets hope they role out a similar programme across the UK :rolleyes:

But I wont hold my breath just yet ;)

Good news all the same

Sikamalc
 
I know that neck of the woods quite well and know of some of the local 'Characters'. I would be very interested to see the names. I hope the arrests are followed through to become convictions and sentences, alot can go wrong along the way. Fingers crossed. JC
 
pheasant sniper 1 said:
finnbear270 said:
Be good to think they will be eating porage, instead of turkey! :)

Youre joking there Steve..

They will be having a better Christmas dinner than our lads on the front line :evil: :evil:
Yeah, you have a valid point there! :rolleyes: , Mind you, I do still like the tinned chicken liver pate, with biscuits brown to shovel with!, never could decide if the biccies were sweet or savoury :lol:
 
I think they might be a bit of sea of change with “wildlife crime” it seems now to almost be taken more seriously than crimes against a person. :confused:

I read in my local paper (Annan, south west Scotland) that three individuals had been arrested for “hunting with dogs” :- hare coursing, (this is not a law I am a supporter of) but in this instance they were on land they had no legal authority to been on. They really throw the book at them.

As well as hunting with dogs the driver was charged with trying to pervert the course of justice, he made a run for it in the van. The passenger was also charged with the same, he throw the hares out of the van window, the passenger that was travelling in the rear of the van was charged with motoring offences no seat belt etc. The Sheriff also gave them all an injunction preventing them from travelling within a 50 mile radius of Annan. IIRC.

ATB

Tahr
 
A fortnight ago a well know local lurcher lamping poacher was found dead in a field in north Northumbria. Praise all round from land managment workers? Well not exactly their fear is that the deceased's terratory will be taken over by gangs from Tyneside and a whole new ball game will commence. Apparently poaching gangs with dogs in search of hare and roe deer travel from as far afield as Middlesborough to north Northumbria. Rest assured none of them will show respect for growing crops and will drive across sown fields without conscience or qualm. The deceased above as far as I know was never stopped or questioned by police, do officers on patrol no longer question drivers of suspicious vehicles.

Blackpowder
 
It's a terrible scenario when you know the priorities of the police lie elsewhere and effectively the perpetrators know they can operate pretty much lawlessly without threat or consequences.

It seems to be down to two main groups of people - those who, on the surface, presumably have legitimate reason to hold firearms legally and who abuse that privelege.... and those who operate completely outside the law with illegal firearms and/or dogs and, mosty likely, are of no fixed abode. :rolleyes:

I have heard of arrangements between landowners and (without wanting to be 'discriminatory') certain 'travelling' communities to the effect that they can course for hare only with the (begrudging) consent of the landowner so long as that was all they did and in return they keep other undesirables off the land. People then caught slipping long dogs on deer get a kicking from the 'residents', however we aren't talking the most honourable people here. What happens when the 'residents' start taking more then their due, which they invariably will.

A protection racket for want of a better phrase. :(

Others resort to total annihilation of hare/deer so that poachers won't have cause for coming on their land in the first place.

The only proper fix is to successfully prosecute the perps and remove them from circulation which is why it's great to read that the police, in this news report, are trying to do just that!

Alex
 
I was also told today that this is the largest operation of its type ever to be used against poachers anywhere in the UK.

They seized over 40 firearms as part of the operation and are also trying to link DNA from heads of deer and grallochs found on various poached pieces of ground with blood in the back of seized vehicles and with venison in butchers/pubs/restaurants.

They are seemingly going all the way leaving no stone unturned. I have to say a good job by plod. Lets hope the judicial system doesn't let us down and they get some good lengthy sentences.
 
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