By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

caught in the act

Red Deer man arrested in Swan Hills area for alleged oil site thefts

Jun 15, 2022 | 4:44 PM

A 37-year-old Red Deer man is one of four people charged in connection to thefts of copper from oil sites in the Swan Hills area, north of Whitecourt.

RCMP there say they’ve seen a 22 per cent increase in oil site thefts over the last two months.

The man from Red Deer, along with a 51-year-old man from Edmonton, 61-year-old man from Kavanagh, and a 23-year-old woman from Edmonton faces several charges related to break, enter and theft, mischief, and possession of stolen property.

RCMP say they were each arrested allegedly in the act of stealing copper.

“Along with targeted proactive Police enforcement, the assistance of our community members, local businesses and their employees, local hunters and hunters from out of community, the Swan Hills RCMP, spear headed by Constable Kevin Chopek, were able to successfully apprehend and charge these four individuals,” RCMP say in a release. The Swan Hills RCMP would like to thank our community for their support and assistance in this investigation.”

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This investigation is still ongoing as police try to determine how many oil site thefts this group may have been responsible for in the Swan Hills area.

If anyone has any information regarding this investigation or any other crime, contact Swan Hills RCMP at 780-333-4450. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), online at www.P3Tips.com or by using the “P3 Tips” app available through the Apple App or Google Play Store.