Mounties arrest suspects in chop shop bust
Charges are pending after police find stolen cars, car parts and weapons
RCMP say they’ve made a significant dent in rural crime after shutting down a suspected chop shop near Cochrane.
Charges are pending against five people after the Mounties discovered a large number of stolen vehicles stashed on a property in Morley, about 30 kilometres west of Cochrane, on Thursday.
Officers were on patrol Thursday night when they pulled on to the property, where they found a suspect with a firearm sitting inside a vehicle with a stolen licence plate, said Cpl. Troy Savinkoff.
While police were speaking to the suspect, police say another suspect arrived in a vehicle that was also stolen.
Savinkoff said five people from the vehicles and the property have been arrested and face a number of charges, including weapons and firearms offences. He said police had been to the property before and made arrests in the past.
“What we know so far is that there are several stolen vehicles on the property, as well as a large amount of car parts inside the residence,” Savinkoff said.
“We do believe that some vehicles have been brought there, (their) parts removed, and we’re trying to determine … what they were doing with them.”
Savinkoff said all the vehicles recovered at the property so far were stolen from Calgary.
The Cohcrane RCMP also arrested three men travelling in a stolen car near Morley earlier Wednesday.
Police, with the assistance of an OnStar stolen vehicle assistance program, located the vehicle travelling on the Trans-Canada Highway. OnStar was able to deactivate the vehicle and police took the men into custody.
Police recovered two cans of bear spray, a machete, a collapsible baton and a number of knives from the vehicle. The men, all from Morley, are facing multiple charges, including weapons and property offences, as well as breaches of conditions.
The names of the eight people arrested will be released once charges are laid.
Savinkoff said the Cochrane RCMP have been cracking down on rural crime and vehicle thefts, adding there has been “a very sharp, drastic decrease” in crime in the area.
“The Cochrane RCMP have had a very large amount of success this year ... and we have seen an effect that our efforts have had in the town of Cochrane, specifically.”
Even with these recent successes — putting eight people behind bars and taking around half a dozen weapons off the streets — Savinkoff said Albertans need to stay on their guard to deter rural criminals.
“I would like to remind the public that everyone has a part to play in protecting their property by locking their cars doors, removing valuables and not leaving their vehicle running with the keys inside,” he said.
We do believe that some vehicleshave been brought there, (their) parts removed, and we’re trying to determine … what they were doing with them.