Buffalo thieves resort to high-tech

Buffalo thieves resort to high-tech

KUALA LUMPUR: High-tech buffalo thieves in Malaysia's eastern
state of Sabah on Borneo island using cellphone massaging to
spread rumors that headhunters are on the prowl, a report said
Monday.

The thieves hope the SMS (short message service) messages will
revive fears of an ancient and gruesome Borneo tradition of
collecting the heads of dead enemies as trophies, thus keeping
villagers from venturing out of their houses at night, a police
spokesman told The Star.

The rustlers would then be able to steal herds of water-
buffalo at their leisure.

The headhunter rumors were "nonsense and baseless", said
Deputy Superintendent Edward Koromol, adding that the district
Criminal Investigation Department had been tasked with catching
the culprits. --AFP