A 20-year-old Winnipeg man has been arrested for more than $125,000 in graffiti damage.

Police say their investigation spanned nearly two years between Jan. 2009 and Dec. 2010 and included several locations across the province. Graffiti was plastered on railway cars, overpasses and bridges.

"When you do it in this manner, in this fashion, where property is being damaged it's no longer art," says Const. Jason Michalyshen with the Winnipeg Police Service. "It is property damage and it is graffiti and quite simply you can be charged."

Police say they executed a search warrant at a Linden Woods home in December, seizing paint cans and equipment, sketchbooks, a camera and computers.

The suspect was arrested and is now facing 59 counts of mischief.

There are other ways for graffiti artists to display their work.

Organizations like Graffiti Art Programming give taggers a place to express themselves legally.

"We're willing to work with them and offer all of our programming free of charge," says Steve Wilson with the organization. "But in exchange they have to give up their illegal ways."

The 20-year-old has been released on a promise to appear. The investigation is continuing and police say additional arrests are pending.

-with a report from CTV's Caroline Barghout