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Massive blueberry harvester stolen from rural Chilliwack property

A huge machine with a top speed of 15 kph was taken from an area near No. 3 road over the weekend
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Of all the things a thief could steal, an Oxbo 7420 Blueberry Harvester should be at the bottom of the list.

But someone decided they just had to have one of these massive beasts. Over the weekend, a thief (or thieves) took one from a property in the No. 3 road area of Chilliwack, and you can imagine the getaway.

The top speed on one of these machines is around 15 kilometres an hour. It’s 23 feet (7.01 metres) long and 10 feet (3.05 metres wide) with a minimum height of 13 feet (3.96 metres).

“That’s pretty ballsy!” said one Facebook commenter responding to a post by Blair Neels.

“WHY would they steal something like this? Just to prove they can?” asked another.

Berry harvesters are selling online for anywhere from $25,000 to $115,000 on one website, but the odds that the suspects will be able to cash in are low. It’s bigger than some pawn shops and would draw unwanted attention on Craigslist or a 24 hour bidding page.

“If anyone has seen any of these driving around at night or anytime please let me know,” Neels wrote on Facebook. “Shouldn’t be many driving around this time of year.”

READ MORE: Two Chilliwack prolific offenders plead guilty to Home Depot theft

READ MORE: Christmas-tree-sized hedge theft captured on Chilliwack security video


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eric.welsh@theprogress.com

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Eric Welsh

About the Author: Eric Welsh

I joined the Chilliwack Progress in 2007, originally hired as a sports reporter.
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