Kamloops thieves bypass alarm, steal bikes from city-sanctioned auction

Before the City of Kamloops even opened the doors to its own auction, some of the items up for bidding were swiped by thieves at the Valleyview Arena.

Ray Sison with the City said the thieves came in when staff weren't around and stole two bikes, among other items.

"We have an alarm. They were able to navigate through that somehow," he said.

Sison didn't say exactly what night the burglary happened, and Kamloops RCMP did not respond to questions from iNFOnews.ca. 

Two of the big-ticket mountain bikes listed for the auction were stolen, including a Norco Aurum and a YT Capra.

"They knew what they were looking for," Sison said. "They were sophisticated."

He didn't say exactly what other items were found to be stolen. He did, however, say there is security on site and police are patrolling the area more frequently overnight while the auction items fill the Valleyview Arena.

The auction, which runs until Aug. 6, includes a mix of old City of Kamloops supplies, along with items seized during criminal investigations.

The stolen items, including bikes, can be claimed by their rightful owners for free, if proof of ownership is shown.

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