Police are investigating after someone walked off with $100,000 worth of helicopter parts in Port Hardy.
The parts were taken from the cab of a pickup truck on Hardy Bay Road, sometime between 9 p.m. Nov. 9 and 8 a.m. Nov. 10.
There were no rotors or other sizable items stolen, said Port Hardy Staff Sgt. Wes Olsen. “We’re not talking large parts,” he said. “We’re talking smaller parts, but expensive parts … small enough to carry away from the vehicle.”
Olsen said the victim works on helicopters for a private company, most likely a logging concern.
He said he believes that whoever stole the parts “really didn’t know what they were getting.” Getting money from the crime would be difficult, Olsen said.
“Because, realistically, these parts aren’t going to be good to anybody,” he said. “It’s not something that you just go turn around and pawn.”
Police have described the items as “highly recognizable” and made for a specific helicopter, but they are not saying much more.
“If somebody’s phoning with information, I don’t want to give too much detail out,” Olsen said.
“If they say they know about it, I want them to tell me what they know.”
Olsen said it is possible the thief or thieves might decide to discard the stolen goods. But the best thing for them would be to arrange for the parts to get back to their owner, he said.
“If they happen to realize that they got parts that are pretty well useless to them, it’s best to just turn them in somewhere, to the police.”
Port Hardy RCMP ask anyone with information to call Const. Benjamin Leah at 250-949-6335 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
