The long arm of the law stretches all around the Island.
A Nanaimo man whose family boat was stolen July 5 reported on Facebook it has been recovered and a suspect arrested Friday night near the Chemainus River bridge by North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP.
“The RCMP successfully took down the guy that stole our boat, two trucks, and many other people’s possessions while causing chaos on Vancouver Island for the last two weeks,” noted Tony Harris, son of the late Nanaimo philanthropist and longtime car dealer Tom Harris.
“Not only was he arrested but our boat was found in decent condition,” added Tony Harris.
The boat was found about 13 kilometres from Port McNeill off a mainline logging road under a dense canopy of trees.
“We are so thankful for everyone who came together to assist us in the effort to make this happen,” Harris indicated.
“Moreover, I can’t begin to express how impressed I am with the RCMP and the ERT team who managed to bring this to an end while keeping their team and the public safe which was a significant concern given the circumstances.”
Const. Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesman, said the Vancouver Island Emergency Response team and other police resources where brought in to affect the arrest of two suspects in Chemainus.
The primary suspect is from the Duncan area but his name has not been released, pending approval of formal charges.
“We had an indication of who may have been responsible. This individual was located in Chemainus and because he had a propensity for violence, the Emergency Response Team was used,” O’Brien said. “They took him into custody and the boat was later recovered in Port Hardy … Two were taken into custody. It’s still under investigation.”
