Wire thieves were able to steal two and a half kilometres of copper wire from highway lighting north of Nanaimo this week.
The crime happened sometime overnight on Tuesday, April 11, noted Nanaimo RCMP in a press release. Thieves hit lamp standards on both sides of the Island Highway near the Ware Road intersection in Lantzville.
It was the highway’s electrical contractor that reported the theft to police. RCMP officers were advised that copper wire had been stolen from 20 lamp standards and 12 junction boxes and that the theft “put the entire intersection into darkness” and created a safety risk for drivers on a busy stretch of highway.
“Given the sheer volume of copper wire that was removed, the process would have taken a considerable amount of time and energy, and would have required at least a large full-size truck and a minimum of two people,” said reserve Const. Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesperson, in the release.
Police say the thefts caused about $20,000 worth of damage. Work crews replaced the copper wire with aluminum wiring the past few days and “additional security features” have been put in place to try to prevent further thefts.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Nanaimo RCMP non-emergency line at 250-754-2345 and quote file No. 2023-11821.
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editor@nanaimobulletin.com
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