ULAN BATOR, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Mongolian police have arrested six groups of cattle thieves involved in the theft of 562 heads of livestock, the country's National Police Agency (NPA) said on Wednesday.
The 17 suspects were arrested recently while attempting to sell livestock near the capital city of Ulan Bator, the NPA said in a statement.
Cattle thieves are mainly unemployed or assistant herders aged 18-55, and they committed the crime in groups in order to make easy money, it added.
The case was under investigation.
According to Mongolian law, a person found guilty of stealing a large number of livestock and illegally selling meat products will be sentenced to imprisonment for a term of two to eight years. ■