Police Catches Poachers Red-Handed in Nuenen

Gebied: Nuenen

Recently, three poachers were caught red-handed in the outskirts of Nuenen on suspicion of poaching hares with dogs. Two men from Nuenen, aged 22 and 19, and a third suspect, a 19-year-old man from France, are involved. The poachers entered the area with a dog and weapons, releasing the dog to chase hares. This brutal hunting method leaves the exhausted animals no chance and is illegal.

Poaching has long been a persistent and growing problem in our already vulnerable nature. It is a thorn in the side for the police, green enforcement officers (BOA), and citizens.

Occasionally, men with specially trained (long) dogs and sometimes in possession of a hunting rifle enter the outskirts at night to hunt vulnerable animals. Poachers use vehicles equipped with powerful flashlights or other light sources to search mainly for hares and deer. Once animals are spotted, they are shot or caught and killed using (usually) harehounds. These dogs are trained to do everything possible to catch a rabbit, hare, or deer. This is not done gently. The animals are killed in a brutal and painful way. This is a serious crime punishable by heavy fines or, in some cases, imprisonment.

Moreover, such poaching causes the wildlife population to become significantly unbalanced, while many organizations invest a lot of time and energy in maintaining a healthy wildlife population.

In uniform in the mud

The environmental officers of the police of Maas en Leijgraaf and Dommelstroom, the BOAs of local municipalities, and SSiB (Samen Sterk in Brabant) collaborated to put a stop to this form of environmental crime.

Together, many nighttime hours were spent observing. Literally lying in the grass and mud in uniform with the goal of spotting the poachers. These observations combined with other investigative methods resulted in a successful catch in Nuenen.

Posing with poached game

During the stop, the suspected poachers had a so-called long dog with them and transported a dead hare in the vehicle. The dog, the hare, and the vehicle were seized. The operation yielded very useful information. Investigation revealed that these poachers were not on a one-time poaching trip. Multiple photos and videos were found on data carriers, strongly suggesting that these poachers had been active many times. From displaying (fire)arms to posing with poached game. The third suspect was also seen in the footage. The public prosecutor of the Functional Public Prosecutors Office will soon handle the case.

Report signs of poaching?

POLICE

First point of contact for poaching, drug dumping, and chemical (drug) waste in jerrycans or barrels. If you know anything about criminal (environmental-related) activities (such as drug labs/dumpings or poaching), call 0900-8844 or anonymously report crime at 0800-7000.

TOGETHER STRONG IN BRABANT (SSiB)

The enforcement team of SSiB works daily for a green, clean, and safe countryside. Their three priorities are waste dumping, illegal off-road driving, and poaching. They support network partners with enforcement actions, surveillance, and knowledge sharing. If you see something wrong in the countryside, report it via the Environmental Complaints Center: 073 681 28 21. More information about SSiB can be found here.