On Vancouver Island, there’s a disturbing trend underway. Local law enforcement have noted a series of battery thefts from railway control boxes. The ongoing thefts, which began last summer, have accumulated in nearly $800,000 in damages, not to mention the exorbitant replacement costs.
A cluster of these crimes, numbering at least five, have taken place in the Nanaimo area. Despite the concentration here, it appears that locations from Greater Victoria to the Comox Valley are not exempt from this criminal trend which has been in operation since August.
The most recent incident was recorded on the eve of October 19. The railway crossing at the intersection of Comox Road and Kennedy Street in Nanaimo bore the brunt of the audacious thefts.
In terms of timing, these malefactors have been conducting these illicit operations deep into the night. This strategy, coupled with the absence of witnesses and limited surveillance in these zones, is proving challenging to the ongoing investigation, according to Constable Gary O’Brien, a spokesperson for Nanaimo RCMP.
The working hypothesis is that a group of individuals is likely behind these thefts. Employing a brilliant guise, the suspects might be using high-visibility vests, perfectly masquerading as maintenance staff conducting routine operations.
Their brazen acts are shocking indeed. “These thefts take time and these people are audacious,” shared O’Brien. He went on to describe the average weight for each battery, somewhere between 13 and 18 kilograms, a hefty weight to discreetly heft away.
Contrary to what might be expected, these batteries seemingly are not appearing on the scrap metal market. Instead, suspicions are that the stolen batteries are being strategically used as power sources. Constable O’Brien expressed reluctance to divulge the explicit intended use, indicating that revealing such details might compromise the ongoing investigation or incite further thefts.
Members of the public can play a role in putting a stop to these criminal undertakings. If anyone witnesses suspicious activity around railway control boxes, or holds any potentially beneficial information about the thefts, they are encouraged to reach out to Nanaimo RCMP via their non-emergency contact line at 250-754-2345.
