The crooks used a blowpipe to drug the animals before loading them into the rear and boot of their getaway vehicle.
But they must have come up with the plan on the hoof because the Proton Wira saloon soon broke down under the weight.
It was found abandoned just seven miles from a cattle farm in Bukit Mertaja, Malayasia, with the animals still dazed and confused in the back.
Deputy police chief Chin Soo Song said: “The men drove away from the farm but their car broke down, forcing them to abandon the vehicle and its booty.”
The rustlers have been on the run since Friday, but police remain bullish about catching them.