Eight sheep and five men found in car

Police patrolling in East London, South Africa, on Sunday night made a startling discovery when they stopped a Nissan Sentra stuffed with five men - and eight stolen sheep. Police spokesman Captain Stephen Marais said one of the sheep was found in the front foot well and four in the rear, while a further three animals had been stuffed in the boot.

All had their legs tied with wire and two had died from suffocation. "Members of the Flying Squad and Dog Unit were patrolling in the Quigney area around midnight when they spotted a fully laden vehicle, became suspicious and pulled it over," said Marais.


Photo from here.

"To their disbelief they found the five men in the car with the eight sheep." Marais said the men claimed they had bought the sheep in Cove Rock, but police followed up on the information and it proved incorrect.

"Fortunately, the animals had been tattooed on their ears so we were able to trace them to the owner, farmer Peter Hartley from Stutterheim." Marais said after stealing the animals, four of the men had driven to East London with the sheep in the car. Once in the city they collected a fifth man, and it is thought they were on their way to sell the sheep when they were arrested.