MANCHESTER, Jamaica — Two boys, ages 16 and 17, are among four people arrested by the police during praedial larceny operations where three stolen cows were recovered in Mile Gully, Manchester on Friday.

Sergeant Leisha Rose, Constabulary Communications Network (CCN) liaison for Manchester, said the police apprehended another man in a subsequent operation.

A person of interest believed to be the ringleader behind several cases of praedial larceny in the area is on the run.

“The Cottage police acting on information went to a property located along the Green Hill main road in Mile Gully, Manchester where a white GMC truck was seen laden with cows stolen from the same property,” she said in an audio release from the leadership of the Manchester police on Saturday.

“Three suspects including two children all of Clarendon addresses were arrested. Subsequently acting upon further information the police went to another location where a fourth [person] was. A fifth [man] known to the police as Devonte Clarke of Auchtembeddie district in Manchester eluded the police,” she added.

Police seized this truck during the praedial larceny bust in Mile Gully, Manchester on Friday.

She said Clarke recently absconded bail.

“Clarke is a person of interest in several cases of praedial larceny being investigated by police officers at the Cottage police station. He is also an accused before the Manchester Parish Court and has since absconded bail and a bench warrant has been issued for this arrest,” said Rose.

There have been numerous reports of praedial larceny in the Mile Gully area in recent months with the police promising to clampdown on the perpetrators.

“The farmers in the Mile Gully area are being plagued by praedial thieves for the past few months. As late as June at least seven cows were slaughtered, their meat taken and their carcasses left on the scene by these praedial thieves,” said Rose.

“I want to use this opportunity to commend the farmers and the community members for their vigilance and their cooperation. I want to urge them to continue to partner with us the local police to rid the area and by extension the Manchester of these praedial thieves as the police cannot do it by themselves,” she added.

— Kasey Williams