INNISFAIL - RCMP are asking for public tips after thieves caused about $100,000 in damage to an oilfield site near Spruce View west of Innisfail on Saturday.
“Innisfail RCMP received a report of theft of copper wire from an oilfield site located on Range Road 40 and Township Road 360,” RCMP Cpl. Troy Savinkoff said in a release Monday.
“Police believe that in the early hours of July 6, the suspect or suspects broke into a gate on the property and proceeded to steal a large amount of electrical cable causing significant damage to the site. The damages are estimated to be in the $100,000 range.”
Cpl. Savinkoff said the suspects used a power tool to cut the large cable apart.
“That’s what the damage to the site was caused from,” he told the Albertan in a follow-up interview.
He characterized the incident as “very dangerous, but it is the common way that they do it.”
Police are asking for public assistance in identifying the suspect or suspects, he said.
Asked if the incident was related to recent similar oilfield thefts in the district, he said, “It is similar, but whether it is related is hard to say. We do know that the majority of our crime is committed by the same small group of people.
“There is no indication that it is directly linked but I’m not going to totally discount that either.”
Anyone with information is being asked to contact Innisfail RCMP at 403-227-3342 or Crime Stoppers or online at P3Tips.com or by using the P3 Tips app.
Editor's note: This article has been updated to reflect new information from the RCMP on the location of the oilfield site.
