Remands were handed to three people on Thursday who had been caught attempting to steal around €15,000 worth of sheep on the British base of Dhekelia.

The trio had been apprehended in the village of Xylofagou on May 10, and now face a total of 13 charges related to the theft of the sheep and other animals, with the authorities suspecting that the trio may be linked to similar incidents elsewhere on the island.

According to the British bases’ assistant police chief Dinos Petrou, livestock theft has been a recurring issue in rural areas, but improved means of surveillance have helped reduce the frequency of such incidents.