Modern-day cattle rustling

ALTHOUGH cattle rustling mostly occurs in old Western movies, an Australian man allegedly attempted a 21st-century version of it, according to HuffPost.

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The New South Wales resident is accused of stealing a liquid nitrogen tank containing $100 000 worth of Wagyu cattle semen, along with cattle embryos, and fraudulently obtaining wagyu cattle at a bargain price.

The 34-year-old is charged with 20 offences.His employer, Sumo Wagyu Genetics, asked him to sell 200 “empty cattle”—a term for heifers that are unable to carry a calf.

Fraser then allegedly used a third party to purchase 114 of the animals for himself. They included 45 very valuable full-blood wagyu cows and heifers, according to investigator Cameron Whiteside.

“Police will allege that he sold 45 full-blood Wagyu cows and heifers as part of a sale contrary to his employer's direction,” Whiteside said.

Investigators said that reducing the price of the Wagyu cattle—prized for their highly marbled meat—netted the man almost $100 000.