The South Porcupine Ontario Provincial Police Crime Unit has recovered three mini excavators stolen from Southern Ontario.
The OPP’s Crime Unit undertook a comprehensive investigation which culminated in the execution of a search warrant at a Gogama residence last week.
Two Bob Cat mini-excavators with a value of approximately $20,000 each and a Caterpillar mini excavator with a value of $12,000 have been recovered. The equipment is in extremely good condition and very clean. It is unsure if the equipment belongs to the owner or insurance company.
Equipment theft in southern Ontario is huge and the recovery rate is about 5%. Equipment is stripped and placed in containers to be shipped to other countries.
Companies have looked at having GPS's installed however if you Google GPS jammer, these can be defeated.
Most heavy equipment is routed through Montreal and organized crime groups from Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
Each item had been reported stolen from the Peel Region of Southern Ontario. Constable Marc Depatie commented that stolen items tend to go the other way and land in southern Ontario over landing in our area.
Marion MATUSZAK, 57, of Gogama, has been charged with three counts of Possession of Property Obtained by Crime contrary to the Criminal Code of Canada.
The accused person was released from police custody but must attend Provincial Court in Gogama on November 19th to answer to the charges laid against him.
