Army tires turn up in scrap metal yards

A41-year-old Bathurst-area man has been questioned in connection with the theft of$100,000 worth of bulletproof, military tire partsfrom a company near Bathurst.

The RCMP say on Oct. 13, someone broke into the compound at the Industrial Rubber Co. in Big River.

RCMP Const. Marc Gallaghersaid thetire parts are for use on military vehicles. Theequipment is owned by the Canadian and Spanish governments and is made of specialized metal that can't easily be melted down or re-used.

"They look like big wheel drums. And these are being refurbished so they can be sent right back to Afghanistan and some of the other NATO countries. And some of these wheels do belong to the Spanish army as well," Gallagher said

Half ofthe tire parts were recovered Monday at a Quebec scrap metal yard and the rest were found Tuesday at a scrap metal dealer in the Bathurst area.