- Police solved seven livestock theft cases in eastern Crete
- Two arrests, one suspect still wanted
- 230 sheep and 124 newborn lambs recovered
- All animals returned to their owners
- No impact on tourist safety or travel in Lassithi
Visitors who worry about losing luggage can take comfort in knowing that Cretan police even track down missing sheep. In a sweeping operation around Agios Nikolaos and Ierapetra, officers cracked seven long-running livestock theft cases that had quietly haunted local shepherds for years.
Between 2020 and 2025, three men aged twenty-five, twenty-six, and forty-nine allegedly made off with 851 sheep and goats, some of them pregnant at the time. The stolen animals were traced through patient investigation by the Lassithi Police Special Operations Unit, who acted on solid local intelligence.
When officers raided several shepherd compounds on October 29, they discovered 230 of the stolen animals along with 124 lambs born from the pregnant ewes. Every animal was identified and joyfully returned to its rightful owner — a moment that must have sounded like a very loud reunion of bleats and bells.
Travel Safe and Enjoy the Countryside
Two suspects are now in custody, while another remains at large. The arrests fall under strict Greek laws on livestock theft, which require clear signage and micro-tagging of every flock. Tourists can rest assured that the authorities take both animal welfare and rural order very seriously.
For visitors driving through the Lassithi Plateau or the Ierapetra hills, there is no disruption to travel. Roads remain open, tavernas continue to serve their famous lamb dishes, and shepherds are once again smiling at passing cars instead of counting losses.
If you happen to meet a shepherd on your journey, do not be surprised if he tells you proudly that his girls are all back home. On Crete, every sheep has a story — and this one ends well.