12 Month Investigation Leads to Charges After Undersea Cable Severed.
Victoria County District RCMP has charged a man after a 12-month investigation into damage to an undersea cable.
On December 24, 2024, Victoria County District RCMP responded to a report of mischief to an undersea cable off the coast of Aspy Bay. RCMP officers learned that earlier that day, the fibreoptic cable, part of the telecom or telecommunications infrastructure connecting Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, had been severed.
On December 10, officers arrested Jamie Lee Burton, 33, of Ingonish. He is charged with Mischief (Over $5000). Investigators also executed a search warrant on a vessel moored at a wharf in Ingonish and seized electronic equipment and other items that support the charge.
Victoria County District RCMP appreciated collaboration with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) fishery officers throughout the investigation.
“This investigation was complex in part because of the difficulties in establishing or attending the scene of the crime,” says Cpl. Cory Stead, Detachment supervisor, Victoria County District RCMP (Ingonish Beach RCMP Detachment). “Partnerships with DFO fishery officers and with the Bell Canada team that repaired the cut cable were an important part of collecting information and evidence.”
Investigators established that the damage to the cable was not associated to national security concerns or an intentional attempt to impact essential infrastructure.
Source: RCMP Release
