Don’t be the victim of fraud
The Major and Organised Crime Squad (Rural) have recently received a number of fraud complaints where victims have entered into agreements with people purporting to be beef or wild game wholesalers (specifically, roo meat). The offenders offer high price returns but once the meat is sold, the complainants are simply not paid. Police urge producers to exercise caution when entering into arrangements with new and unknown buyers and wholesalers. Police also urge the community to report any incidents of fraudulent activity, Queensland Police say.
Trespassers will be prosecuted
There has also been an increase in reports of trespassers on rural properties right across the State. Primarily people are being found driving on remote areas of large pastoral properties and when challenged by owners or managers, have no permission or a reasonable excuse to be there. These people are quite often trespassing for the purposes of hunting and having a person shooting on a property without permission poses a very serious threat to the community. People are reminded trespassing for the purposes of hunting and the unlawful taking of wildlife (including feral pigs) attract significant fines.
"We often find that people committing opportunistic theft when they come across machinery such as pumps, generators and quad bikes and will use the excuse they are only hunting if challenged by the farmer.
"These thieves and reckless hunters give legitimate hunters with appropriate approvals a bad name and farmers and producers simply close off their properties to protect themselves and their interests.
"We will prosecute trespassers on rural properties to protect property owners and industry as they have enough on their hands with the current drought conditions. Landholders are urged to report trespassers using the Policelink ‘stock and rural crime’ smartphone app and we encourage you to use this to send emails and photographs of offenders and their vehicles, as long as it is safe to do so. Otherwise we encourage anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers.
