Candy Bar caper leads Haida Gwaii RCMP to larger cache of stolen goods

A report of shoplifting at a store in Masset in early May took members of the RCMP in three communities off onto a search that delivered a wide array of stolen goods and quite the story in between.

From the Masset and Queen Charlotte detachments, comes the following review of the a case that just kept expanding in scope as the day moved forward with their investigation, which also included the services of the BC Conservation Officer Service as well before it all came to an end with an arrest and charges.

On Sunday, May 2, 2021, Queen Charlotte RCMP responded to a shoplifting complaint from a local business. During the investigation, police discovered so much more. It was learned that the suspect allegedly stole a vehicle that was abandoned in Port Clement where Masset RCMP were called to assist. 

A stolen goods case file kept
Haida Gwaii RCMP members
busy on Graham Island earlier 
this month

After police recovered the jeep, investigation revealed that the suspect got the jeep stuck on the Datlamen Forest Service Road and allegedly took an excavator from a nearby work site in an attempt to get the jeep out. When that failed, a passerby, unaware of what had taken place, helped the suspect get the jeep free. 

There were two reports of break and enters in the area and police believe the suspect may have been responsible for those crimes. As the investigation continued to unfold, police learned that the suspect had abandoned the jeep following a crash and then allegedly took another vehicle. 

 Queen Charlotte RCMP with the assistance of the BC Conservation Officer Service located the stolen truck in their community and arrested the suspect for possession of stolen property. 

Some of the items recovered earlier this month from an
alleged string of thefts across Haida Gwaii 
(RCMP Photo)

At the time of the arrest, the suspect was found to be in possession of other items reported stolen. He also had outstanding arrest warrants from Smithers and Prince Rupert for property related offences. He has taken to the Masset Detachment, held in custody and is facing several charges.

The case file didn't stop with the arrest, with Mounties tracing the suspect's movements back to a remote camp where they believed the suspect had been staying.

Upon arrival at the site, the RCMP then recovered the majority of the items stolen during this crime spree. Among the stolen property recovered was a canoe, which was used to transport the stolen property from the extremely remote location.

The case file can be reviewed from the RCMP website here.

A wider overview of past work of Emergency Responders across the Northwest can be found from our archive page here.