Mississippi authorities have successfully retrieved stolen agricultural equipment worth approximately $210,000.

The recovery effort was initiated after the Mississippi Agriculture and Livestock Theft Bureau (MALTB) received a request for assistance regarding a stolen Cat 299D3 skid steer from Copiah County.

Originally reported missing by the Copiah County Sheriff’s Office, the skid steer was being utilized for clearing beetle-infested timber along highways and utility right-of-ways.

Through an intensive investigation, MALTB, in collaboration with the Hinds County Sheriff’s Office, Hinds County Patrol Division, and Hinds County Emergency Operations Center, pinpointed the stolen equipment to a rural area in Hinds County.

In addition to the skid steer, a 16-foot enclosed trailer reported stolen in Hinds County the previous month, was also recovered at the scene.

The skid steer, equipped with a mulching head, is estimated to be worth $196,000, while the trailer is appraised at approximately $14,000.

MALTB Director Dean Barnard commended the collective effort of law enforcement, emphasizing, “This investigation and the recovery of $210,000 in combined ag equipment was a law enforcement team effort.”

No arrests have been made, and authorities are actively pursuing further leads in the ongoing investigation.