Collaboration between RCMP units and partner agencies has led to charges against one man and the recovery of a boat taken from the D`Escousse marina.
On September 23, Richmond County District RCMP responded to a report of a boat stolen from a marina in D’Escousse. Surveillance video showed a man boarding the white cabin cruiser and departing from the marina that day at approximately noon. Officers located the vehicle the man drove to the marina, a grey Ford F150 with Ontario plates, and found that it had been reported stolen from Alberta in July.
On September 28, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) fishery officers on an aerial surveillance patrol spotted the boat near St. Pierre and Miquelon. It appeared to be adrift and unoccupied and DFO fishery officers were unable to make contact with anyone on the boat.
DFO, the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC), the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG), and the RCMP, including officers from the Quebec RCMP Marine Security Enforcement Teams (MSET), established a plan to determine if anyone was on board and if there was a need for medical assistance. Further investigation related to the theft of the vessel and possible safety risks were also under consideration.
On September 30, CCG and MSET officers on a CCG vessel reached the boat, located east of Sable Island. When officers boarded, they found and arrested the man on board, who was observed to be the same man from marina surveillance video. He was assessed for any medical concerns and transported to shore by RCMP and CCG.
Mohammad Saleh, 31, of Toronto, had a first court appearance at Wagmatcook Provincial Court on October 1. He is charged with Theft and Possession of Property Obtained by Crime (two counts).
The boat and the truck were both seized and further investigation is ongoing with support from Nova Scotia RCMP Forensic Identification Services, and police in Alberta and British Columbia.