Dozens of stolen dogs recovered after South Wales Police raids
Dozens of dogs believed to have been stolen have been recovered following a series of police raids across Swansea and Neath Port Talbot. A total of 59 dogs were rescued on Wednesday, with some of the pets recovered on animal welfare grounds.
Rolex watches, cannabis plants and a stolen horse box and trailer were also seized.
Police arrested five people after executing a number of warrants for offences including cannabis cultivation, conspiracy to commit theft, conspiracy to commit burglary and money laundering offences.
All five people have been released under investigation.
Chief Inspector Nia Hughes said: “In response to public concerns, and acting upon community intelligence, we executed several warrants across the Swansea Neath Port Talbot area.
"This was a fantastic example of partnership working and we are pleased to achieve such apositive result."Not only have we been able to retrieve the dogs but this is a prime example of intelligence-led policing which has resulted in the recovery of these dogs."
Officers have begun trying to identify the dogs and return them to their owners by checking for microchips in the pets.Chief Inspector Hughes added: "We know the emotional impact that dogs being stolen has on their owners and I want to reassure people that we have put a substantial amount of time, effort and care into finding the people responsible, and our investigation is very much ongoing."If you believe one of the dogs is yours, then we would ask for proof of this, with a minimum being a photo of you with your dog.”A South Wales Police spokesman added: "We appreciate that many people will be anxious to know if their dog has been recovered and we politely ask victims to bear with us as we expedite enquiries".Anyone who has had a pet stolen, and wants to enquire about the possibility of their pet being among those retrieved, should contact police.