Reuters: Genetics Help Argentine Police Beat Cattle Rustlers
LA PLATA, Argentina (Reuters) - Cattle-rustling is an age-old problem on Argentina's legendary Pampas plains, but genetic testing is helping police crack down on thieves.
Argentina, one of the world's top beef exporters, is famous for its free-range beef from grass-fed cattle. Experts say lax controls and the sheer scale of some landholdings make it easy for rustlers.
However, plans are under way to expand a pioneering database of samples of genetic material from 10,000 cattle that has helped police solve 270 cases of cattle-rustling since it was established in Buenos Aires province seven years ago.
Even filet steaks or sausages suspected of coming from stolen animals can be used as a source of genetic material to cross-reference with the samples of hair, blood or flesh kept in the cattle database, which is managed by the state-run Genetic Veterinary Institute (Igevet).
Before the database was set up, it was difficult for police to prove rustling, even when they had identified suspects.
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