Gunman nabs cattle truck in Wild West-style robbery

Masked man takes over two-story semi-trailor carrying calves from southern Israel to Golan Heights ranch.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN
cows 311 (photo credit: Courtesy)
cows 311
(photo credit: Courtesy)
A truck carrying calves from southern Israel to a ranch on the Golan Heights was taken over by a masked gunman north of the Dead Sea on Tuesday in a robbery scene reminiscent of a Wild West film.
The driver of the two-story semi-trailer, which was ferrying dozens of Australian cattle, became suspicious when he saw a car following him in the Dead Sea area.
After seeing the car had vanished, the driver made a rest stop. At that stage, suspects appeared wielding firearms, and ordered the driver to start the truck and head into the West Bank.
In the Ma’aleh Adumim region, the driver was placed in a second vehicle, while one of the robbers got behind the wheel of the truck and headed off in the direction of Ramallah.
The driver was abandoned in the fields of Kibbutz Almog in the West Bank with his hands and eyes bound and ordered to walk to the main road, where he was able to hitch a ride and contact police.
Police tracked down the stolen truck in the Ramallah area and returned it to Israel. A joint Israel Police and Palestinian Civilian Police investigation is underway to track down the stole animals.