The RCMP is investigating the disappearance of 5,000 head of cattle worth $5 million from two central Alberta feeder associations.
RCMP cpl. Ed Turco of the livestock investigation section is looking into the complaint of the missing animals from the Blindman Livestock Feeder Co-op of Rimbey and the Bluffton Breeders Co-op Ltd. of Bluffton.
“We received a complaint from Blindmans and Bluffton and we have an investigation currently under way,” said Turco, who is working with the Rimbey RCMP and the Calgary Commercial Crime Unit.
“There is some indication there could be as many as 5,000 cattle between the two organizations, missing,” he said.
No charges have been laid.
Feeder associations are designed to help cattle producers buy feeder and breeder cattle at low interest rates and with only five percent security deposit because the provincial government guarantees the loans.
Turco expects the investigation to be lengthy because of the number of people involved in the feeder associations and the complexity of the paper trail.
