Calgary

Pile of 800 stolen tires nets charges against 4 Alberta men

Four Alberta men are facing a list of charges after their plans for a pile of 800 stolen tires fell flat Wednesday.

Huge stash of tires uncovered at a property near Three Hills, Alta.

Roughly 800 new tires were recovered. (Kate Adach/CBC)

Four Alberta men are facing a list of charges after their plans for a pile of 800 stolen tires fell flat Wednesday.

Innisfail RCMP got a call from Edmonton police asking them to keep an eye out for a stolen truck and trailer unit filled with tires travelling on Highway 2.

Officers found and stopped the trailer on the highway near the Innisfail overpass on Wednesday. The trailer didn't contain the tires but police confirmed the vehicle was stolen and arrested the driver.

"The trailer was empty but it did smell of tires," said Innisfail RCMP Sgt. Lori Eiler. 

Piles of stolen tires sit outside a rural property near Three Hills, Alta. where RCMP arrested three men on Wednesday. (Kate Adach/CBC)

"Stolen tires are very difficult to track. There's no serial number and items like that would be very popular among people that are looking to steal and then traffic stolen property."

The investigation took police to a rural property near the town of Three Hills, which is between Calgary and Red Deer.

Officers from Three Hills and Innisfail could see a large pile of new tires piled up right outside the property.

They stopped a vehicle leaving the property and arrested three more men.

RCMP then executed a warrant and recovered the remaining stolen tires.