RCMP looking for stolen recreational vehicles

A man from Calgary checking on items stored at a rural property on Range Road 22 northwest of Airdrie on Jan. 31 discovered a pair of trailers and recreation vehicles had been stolen, according to Airdrie RCMP Media Liaison Constable Francine Hennelly.

“He believes it was stolen within the week prior to him attending that yard,” she said. “They did not have to break into the yard. All they had to do was cut the locks on the hitch in order to gain access to those trailers.”

The stolen items are a red and black 2003 Polaris 800 Mountain Extreme snowmobile, a 2015 aluminum tilt-deck trailer, a red 2015 Polaris 570 side-by-side and a 2007 14-foot black flat-deck trailer.

According to Hennelly, the value of the stolen items is in excess of $5,000.

Airdrie Rural RCMP was called to the Esso gas station in Crossfield at approximately 3:48 a.m. on Jan. 30, according to Hennelly, after a number of male suspects broke into the business, damaging the front door and then attempting to get into the ATM machine.

“They successfully broke into the business and were attempting to get access to the ATM. However, they were not successful so they left the business and fled in their vehicle,” she said. “We were immediately notified of the break in by an employee. Because they got away with nothing it's considered mischief.”

The vehicle the men fled in is described as a silver four-door pickup truck.

RCMP in Alberta is once again warning residents about a scam involving people pretending to be from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) phoning, demanding payment and threatening jail time if the individual doesn't pay up.

“Scammers are always looking for new ways to get your money or your personal information,” warns Assistant Commissioner Todd Shean, who leads the RCMP's Federal Policing Special Services. “The RCMP works every day to track down fraudsters and bring them to justice, but raising awareness about fraud is also important as it is one of the most effective ways of protecting Canadians from scammers.”

According to RCMP, the CRA will always follow a procedure to ensure private information is protected. For more information or to check a tax account, go to cra-arc.gc.ca