EDMONTON — Alberta RCMP say a major investigation has led to the recovery of more than $1 million worth of stolen industrial and heavy equipment, with police linking the seizure to multiple thefts across central Alberta and Edmonton.
Officers from several RCMP detachments and crime reduction teams recovered equipment including semi tractors, trailers, heavy machinery and industrial supplies during a search warrant executed Feb. 11 at a property in Wetaskiwin County.
Police say the investigation began after Breton and Thorsby RCMP received reports in January of a stolen excavator and bulldozer taken from a property in Brazeau County. Investigators later identified a possible location for the equipment and used a drone to confirm the items were on the property.
The search involved the Central Alberta District Crime Reduction Unit, the Alberta RCMP Auto Theft Unit, Wetaskiwin RCMP and other crime reduction teams.
Items recovered include three semi tractors, seven trailers, a skid steer, two tractors, a shipping container containing industrial hosing valued at about $175,000, a vehicle and numerous additional pieces of machinery.
RCMP say the recovered equipment has been linked to 16 separate theft incidents across several jurisdictions, including Parkland County, Wetaskiwin County, Fort Saskatchewan, Leduc County and Ponoka, as well as two thefts in Edmonton.
Four people were arrested at the property during the execution of the warrant.
Richard Joseph Zukowski has been charged with 14 counts of possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000. He was remanded into custody and is scheduled to appear in the Alberta Court of Justice in Wetaskiwin.
The remaining suspects were released pending further investigation.
“This is yet another example of the harm that a small group of prolific offenders can cause,” said Sgt. Kelly Kraal of the Central Alberta District Crime Reduction Unit. “Having a dedicated group of investigators both trained and equipped to focus all available efforts on these types of offenders has a overall effect of dropping crime rates.”
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