VICTORIA -- Police are on the lookout for a costly piece of construction equipment that was stolen from a rural property near Nanaimo.
Nanaimo RCMP say they are searching for a 2012 E35 Bobcat Mini excavator, which has a value of approximately $40,000.
The excavator was stolen between Nov. 12 and Nov. 14 from a rural property on Corsini Drive, south of Nanaimo.
The owner of the excavator told investigators that the machine is operated with a punch pad and that it may have been driven off the property onto an nearby logging road before it was loaded onto a flat deck or other vehicle for transportation.
Police say the stolen excavator has the phone number 250-591-1510 and the word “Southside” written on the cab of the machine in bright orange paint. The excavator also has the serial number AFM101239.
Anyone with information on the theft or the whereabouts of the excavator is asked to call Nanaimo RCMP at 250-754-2345.
