Poppy box thief unmoved by clerk's Remembrance Day plea: 'This is for our soldiers'

A gas station attendant beggeda robber not to steal poppy donations on Remembrance Day but it was in vain as the number of thefts of collection boxes in Calgary climbs to 24.

Police say two more boxes were stolen on Nov. 11.

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The latest incidentsoccurred at two gas stations in the 4800 block of Centre StreetNorth.

Shell employeeAnjum Anissays a woman came into the gasstation around 9:15 a.m. asking for directions to the downtown Calgary.

When Anis turned around, the woman swapped out a box full of donations for an empty box.

"I told her, 'This is for our soldiers, don't do that.I won't call the police, this is between you and me.Just please give my box back,'" she said.

The suspect is described as a very thinwhite womanin her 30s, wearing a brown coat.

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Acting Sgt. DavidFakassays police havesurveillance footage of the thefts.

"We're just trying to use all of our intelligence to try to identify these people so we can arrest them. This is pretty low for someone to do," he said.

A group that supports the poppy fund and veterans food banks is outraged at the theft.

"It's disgusting that it's happening," said Dave Howard of the Canadian Legacy Project.

"It's like stealing food off of their plates, stealing from those who gave their freedom," he said.

Surveillance video released

A male and female were caught onsurveillance footage in a separate incidentfrom a Shell gas station on 16th AvenueN.W. Monday.

Police are investigating, anddescribe the poppy thefts as a crime of opportunity and desperation.

Poppy incident under investigation CREDIT: Calgary Sun

9 years ago

Duration 0:17

Calgary police are looking for information surrounding the two people in this surveillance footage from a northwest gas station.