Thieves make off with 6,800 kgs of steel tubing from Red Deer business

RCMP say a large truck and trailer must have been used in the theft of 6,800 kilograms of square steel tubingvalued at more than $9,000from a Red Deer business last weekend.

The theft from Alberta Industrial Metals was reported Monday and is suspected to have happened sometime over the weekend.

Police say thieves broke into a locked compound and stole three square-tube bundles. One of the bundles contained five-inch by three-inch tubing that was14.5 metres long and weighed about 2,500 kilograms.

The other two contained two-inch by two-inch tubing that was just over seven metres long, weighing about 4,300 kilograms.

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Police say the thieves would have needed a large truck and trailer to move the tubing.

"This type of theft is so specialized, and requires heavy duty equipment to move, so it's likely the thieves had a specific client or market in mind for the tubing," says Cpl. Karyn Kay of the Red Deer RCMP.

"RCMP want to remind the public that the purchase of any item, large or small, that they believe is stolen property is a crime. If you buy stolen property, you're harming your community as a whole, you're rewarding criminal activity and contributing to a spiral of increased property theft and other crimes that are linked to it, including stolen vehicles, drugs, weapons and violent crimes."

Anyone with information is asked to call Red Deer RCMP at 403-343-5575 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.