Iqaluit (July 05/04) - One man is in custody after two large carvings were stolen from DJ Sensations.

According to staff, on June 29 two men entered the store during a busy tourist rush on Tuesday afternoon.

Claire Kennedy is fed up with thieves coming into her store. This time, two large carvings were swiped from DJ Sensations. - Kathleen Lippa/NNSL photo

Claire Kennedy, store owner, knows the two men worked as a team. One of the culprits hid slightly behind a display shelving unit, scoping out the carvings, while the other man watched for staff, she said.

The culprit then reached for the top of the display case, grabbed a carving and tucked it into the front of his baggy jacket.

"They had a lot of guts to do it," Kennedy said. "We were busy and we were short staffed at the time."

One carving is a large green soapstone walrus by Juta Ipeelie. The other is a seal by Lodi Nauyuq. Each carving is valued at $450.

The store keeps their pictures of carvings on file. Kennedy has sent the pictures to various businesses to inform them that these stolen carvings could be circulating around town.

NorthwesTel is one place where many artists try to sell carvings every Friday from 3-5 p.m.

They received the pictures from Kennedy recently and have posted them internally, a practice they believe makes a difference.

"The images are up now," said Ken Spencer, assistant vice-president of NorthwesTel who recently received Kennedy's e-mail. A year ago, he added, a man came in with two carvings that his staff identified as stolen from pictures they had posted.

"We alerted RCMP and they apprehended the man in our office," said Spencer.

Posting pictures of stolen carvings is important, he said. "It's the life-blood of the carvers in the communities and the businesses," added Spencer. "You can't afford not to be cognizant of what is out there."

This is the biggest theft at the store this year.