STAY CONNECTED: Have the stories that matter most delivered every night to your email inbox. Subscribe to our daily local news wrap.

Two men arrested after rash of boat thefts in Nanaimo: RCMP

Aug 29, 2018 | 4:17 PM

NANAIMO — Two men possibly responsible for several boat thefts in the Nanaimo-area have been arrested and charged.

Nanaimo RCMP Cst. Gary O’Brien said David Robert Malcolm, 38, and Ian Raymond Seward, 40, were arrested on a south Nanaimo beach on Aug. 22 while allegedly in possession of two stolen boats.

One vessel was taken recently from the Boat Basin marina, while another was stolen from Mudge Island, O’Brien said.

“Coincidentally after the arrest of these individuals we haven’t had a reported boat theft in Nanaimo,” he said. “There is nothing linking them to other thefts but we think they’re related.”

Malcolm and Seward were charged with two counts of possession of stolen property over $5,000 and are slated to make their first court appearances on Sept. 4.

O’Brien said there were 13 reported boat thefts locally since mid-May, primarily in the Boat Basin marina located in Nanaimo’s inner harbour.

He said most of the thefts involved unlocked or poorly secured vessels, as well as boats with many visible valuables like GPS units.

“Get to know your neighbours, look out for suspicious activity and don’t leave your boat unattended for long periods of time.”

O’Brien said it’s important to document your boat and its valuables with serial numbers and pictures to assist police in a potential theft investigation.

NanaimoNewsNOW profiled the case of a Protection Island man whose boat was stolen in early Aug.

Alan Bishop later reported his 14-foot aluminum boat was discovered in the Nanaimo River area after pictures of his boat was plastered all over social media.

 

info@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes