Relief supplies for Jamaica stolen in Canada; probe 'very advanced'

No arrest has yet been made in Canada in connection with the multimillion-dollar December 3 theft of a trailer containing dozens of barrels of clothes, food, tools and generators intended for hurricane relief in Jamaica.

Responding to queries from The Gleaner, Peel Regional Police confirmed that the 20-foot trailer was parked on Nashua Drive in Mississauga, from where it was stolen.

Police said investigations are currently ongoing.

“The probe is very advanced, and expectations are high that a breakthrough could come shortly,” said a source who requested anonymity, as they do not have permission to speak publicly.

The theft has left the group of volunteers, including several Jamaicans, devastated, after spending weeks gathering donations and packing the shipping container, which was nearly ready to be sent to Jamaica.

Security footage captured by Public Storage in Mississauga reportedly showed that the facility’s lock was cut.

The footage also reportedly shows a flatbed truck breaching the locked gate and connecting to the trailer where the barrels and crates of goods were stored.

The truck was then loaded before being driven away in the early morning hours of December 3.

- Karen Madden

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