South Simcoe Police say more than $100,000 of goods were saved when officers came across a robbery in progress. According to police, it happened on Monday, around 4:20 a.m. Police say while observing a vehicle at an industrial site on Yonge Street in Innisfil, officers encountered a group of suspects who were attempting to steal equipment. Officers called for backup, but the suspects were able to escape before police were able to arrest them. According to the investigation, police recovered a 2016 Ford F-550, a 2012 Kutoba R520S wheel loader and four large spools of aluminium conductor wire. Each spool is estimated to weight 2,500 pounds. Police say the estimated value of the recovered items is more than $165,000. According to police, a further investigation determined the Ford F-550 had been stolen from Richmond Hill in August. The Kubota wheel loader had been reported stolen in Milton in November, police say. South Simcoe Police say “significant efforts” had been made to conceal the identities of both stolen vehicles. According to police, identifying marks had been removed from the vehicles, the vehicles had been painted over and the wheel loader had its rollover protection structure removed. Despite the alterations, police say officers were able to identify the vehicles and arrange for them to be returned to their owners. Several questions remain around who was involved in the robbery, as police say the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact South Simcoe Police or Crime Stoppers.
