A Nanaimo jewelry store lost an estimated $100,000 worth of stock when it was broken into over the long weekend.
According to Nanaimo RCMP, the theft happened shortly after 3 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 30, at Peoples Jewellers in Woodgrove Centre.
Police say suspects broke into the mall through a northeast entrance. Reserve Const. Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesperson, said police have obtained security video of the break-in, which they are not releasing to the public at this time.
“Thieves, wearing dark clothing, had hoods pulled up to cover their faces,” O’Brien said. “They broke in through an exterior door of the mall … and then they made their way to Peoples Jewellers where they broke through security gates and then went to several glass cases, broke the glass and emptied the cases and [got] out.”
O’Brien said the suspects were in and out of the shopping centre in seven minutes. Police were on scene within two minutes of being notified by the alarm company.
“However, we didn’t find anything,” O’Brien said. “We had Police Dog Services on scene. The track ended quite quickly, which tells us they had some type of vehicle parked nearby so they could leave quite quickly. They didn’t leave on foot.”
He said police believe the theft was not a random incident, but was well-planned and carried out and Nanaimo RCMP is liaising with other municipalities’ police departments to share information about similar crimes that may have happened elsewhere.
Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call the Nanaimo RCMP detachment non-emergency line at 250-754-2345 and quote file No. 2023-34262.
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chris.bush@nanaimobulletin.com
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