2 men face 100 charges in string of ATM, vehicle thefts last year: Sask. RCMP

Two Saskatchewan men are facing a total of at least 100 charges in connection with a string of incidents involving the theft of ATMs and vehicles in 2023, RCMP say.

One of the thefts dates back to the morning of Nov. 18,when a Saskatoon RCMP officerresponding to an alarm report at a business found a severely damaged door and a heavy-duty chain, according to a Friday news release.

Police determined that the thieves broke into the building, attached the chain to an automated teller machine inside, and used a vehicle to pull it out and steal it, the news release said.

The thieves also took $20,000 worth of cigarettes in that instance.

The ATM was later found in a field not far away.

The incident was one ofseveral ATM thefts in the province in 2023, and Saskatoon RCMP"took the lead in investigating a potential string of crimes, with the assistance of many other RCMP detachments and specialized units,"Insp. Ashley Levy, the Saskatchewan RCMP's Central District operations officer, said in the news release.

Their investigation, which included analyzing surveillance video from crime scenes, led to the arrest of a 58-year-old man on March 9, on a highway south of Saskatoon.

Further investigation after his arrest determined that more than 20incidentsreported to police throughout Saskatchewan were connected, including sixATM thefts and the theft of severalvehicles, RCMP said.

On Aug. 1, RCMPexecuted a search warrant at a residence on One Arrow First Nation, north of Saskatoon, where they arrested a 49-year-oldman.

The 58-year-old and 49-year-old haveeach been charged with 24 counts of break and enter, 12 counts of possession of the proceeds of crime and 14 counts of wearing a disguise while committing an offence, RCMP said.

The 49-year-old appeared in Saskatoon provincial court on Aug. 21. The 58-year-old has an appearance scheduled there for Aug. 29.