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They pulled the wool over the authorities’ eyes for a while but now a large sheep smuggling operation has been uncovered on the border.

According to reports on the BBC website today, a large number of untagged sheep, cash, cheques, veterinary medicine and animal ear tags were uncovered in an operation at Gortnagriffin, near Florencecourt, in County Fermanagh last week.

It seems officials on both sides of the border were involved in the clampdown , a move that the PSNI man in charge of the sting, Roy Robinson, is very happy about.

"There have been concerns about the thefts, illegal movement and identification of livestock in Border areas and a suspicion that the stolen animals were being moved across the Border from both sides into the other jurisdiction," he explained.

"We have carried out a number of search operations recently, however this is the most significant series of finds.

"Dealing with rural crime is a priority for police in Fermanagh, whether that is the theft of livestock or machinery. We welcome any information that local people can provide to help us put a stop to criminal activity that affects the livelihoods of so many people, whether directly or indirectly," he said.