The RCMP has made what they call a “major recovery” of stolen property in Athabasca.
The stolen vehicles and equipment, estimated to be worth millions of dollars, were found on a rural property on Township Road 670.
Officers were led there on December 29 by a victim who had tracked his own stolen vehicle to the area using GPS.
“Thanks to the diligence of a vigilant homeowner who tracked down the missing equipment and the meticulous investigation conducted by members of the Athabasca RCMP, we were able to discover and recover this significant cache of stolen assets,” said RCMP Sgt. Mark Hall.
“Without the help of this individual, this investigation may not have been possible.
During the investigation, RCMP found multiple vehicles, off-road vehicles, heavy equipment and spare parts. This includes two semi-trailers, six semi-trailers, quads and five vacation trailers.
Among the items recovered were several pieces of heavy equipment at what the RCMP calls a “breakdown shop” in Athabasca. (Miriam Valdes-Carletti/CTV News Edmonton)
RCMP believe the property was being used as a “chop shop” to dismantle stolen vehicles and resell them illegally.
Hall said it is the largest operation of its kind the Athabasca detachment has ever seen.
“These are big-ticket items that are worth a lot of money and are valuable to a lot of people here, so it was definitely an eye-opener to find them in our community,” Hall said.
A 36-year-old Fort McMurray man was arrested. He has been charged with possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, as well as altering, destroying or deleting a vehicle identification number.
He was released on conditions and is scheduled to appear in the Alberta Court of Justice in Athabasca on Jan. 27.
RCMP say items stolen from an Athabasca cutter vessel included heavy equipment stolen from construction and oil and gas sites. (Miriam Valdes-Carletti/CTV News Edmonton)While it’s unknown exactly how long the chop shop has been active, Hall said it appears to have been “quite a while.”
He said it’s still unclear how many other people might be involved.
RCMP said owners can help prevent theft, such as using GPS trackers, installing lighting and security cameras on the property and securing vehicles with high-quality locks and immobilizers.
With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Miriam Valdes-Carletti
