BOYKINS—A semi-truck trailer loaded with aluminum spools with a combined valued of $40,000 was stolen from Narricot Industries in Boykins.

Major Gene Drewery with the Southampton County Sheriff’s Office said it’s believed the thief at 2:30 a.m. Feb. 3 hooked a truck to the trailer outside the East Circle company and drove off.

“(To take) the entire trailer, they had to have a tractor because it was loaded,” Drewery said.

The trailer belongs to Burgess Trucking in Courtland.

The empty spools hold the yarn that is used for making woven narrow fabrics at Narricot, a company spokesman said. When the spools are empty, they are shipped to the yard company for refills.

Narricot uses the yarn to make harnesses, belts and other products used by the military and firefighters, for recreation and in the automotive industry.

Drewery suspects the spools were stolen for recycling.

“We had a larceny similar to that last year, only just the spools were hauled out,” he said. “They will probably be sold as scrap metal.”

The Narricot spokesman also believes the spools were stolen for their scrap value.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 653-2100.