Three men have been charged over an alleged cattle stealing and export operation that saw more than 300 cows valued at more than $250,000 taken from a remote part of Western Australia.
Police allege a camp was set up at Louisa Downs Pastoral Aboriginal Corporation station near Broome.
Earth moving machinery was allegedly used to create a road to the neighbouring Mount Pierre Pastoral Aboriginal Corporation station in Louisa Downs in October 2022.
The road was allegedly used to muster 306 cows from Mount Pierre Station to a portable cattle yard.
Two helicopters and bull catching buggies were also allegedly used in the weeks-long operation to steal the cattle, before they were trucked to the Northern Territory.
"There were no permissions sought or granted to muster cattle from Mount Pierre Station," police said.
An extensive investigation led authorities to a property on the Adelaide River in the Northern Territory, which police stormed in January.
Officers identified some of the cattle had allegedly been sold and exported.
"The average price for the cattle sold at the time was $827.09 per head multiplied by 306 cattle taken, equalled $253,089.54," police said.
Police alleged some of the money made from the cattle sales had been deposited into the accounts of three men over several months.
Two men, aged 39 and 41, from Fitzroy Crossing and a third man, aged 42, from the Northern Territory were all charged with stealing.
The Fitzroy Crossing men will face Fitzroy Crossing Magistrates Court on Tuesday while the Northern Territory man appears on July 9.
