Ten dogs suspected to have been stolen have been recovered in a raid by police.

Detectives from Crawley and the Sussex Police Rural Crime Team carried out the operation on a site in Surrey on Tuesday.

A 30-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods has been released under investigation.

The dogs’ health is being checked, as officers try to establish if they were taken from their owners.

It follows the successful recovery of six dogs stolen in a burglary in Staplehurst, Kent, last week.

It is estimated dog thefts have risen by 250% nationwide following increased demand during the pandemic.

Chief Inspector Steve Biglands, of the Sussex Rural Crime Team, said:
“Dogs are a valuable commodity to criminal organisations and whilst the numbers of dogs stolen in Sussex is relatively low, even one is too many.

“We are assessing the medical and welfare needs of the dogs we have recovered and now have to undertake the extensive work of identifying them and establishing whether they have been reported as stolen.”

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