Close X
Thursday, October 24, 2024
ADVT 
National

Vancouver police crack down on stolen goods that turn up on downtown sidewalks

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 06 Jun, 2024 03:47 PM
  • Vancouver police crack down on stolen goods that turn up on downtown sidewalks

Vancouver police say a crackdown on the sale of stolen goods that turn up on the sidewalks of the city's Downtown Eastside has led to five arrests and turned up more than $650,000 in cash, drugs and stolen property.

Insp. Mario Mastropieri says a shoplifting "epidemic" is fuelling an illicit market in stolen goods run by organized criminals, that's affecting small businesses, their staff, and customers.

He says in a statement that much of the stolen property "runs straight through the Downtown Eastside," where it's bought in plain sight, then re-sold online for profit.

Specialized investigators worked with front line officers this spring to track stolen property from store shelves to downtown sidewalks, where police say "organized fencing operations pay pennies on the dollar for stolen goods."

They say investigators then tracked stolen property — ranging from designer clothing to liquor to baby formula — to several homes in East Vancouver.

Police say search warrants stemming from the months-long operation led to five arrests, with suspects facing charges related to the possession of stolen property.

"Our work confirmed that fencing operations are fuelling an underground economy of shoplifting, and that some criminals are making thousands of dollars a week for buying and selling stolen merchandise," Mastropieri's statement says.

He says criminals have been recruiting desperate residents of the Downtown Eastside, where many struggle with addiction, to steal from stores in the area.

"They pay the thieves a fraction of the retail price for the merchandise they've stolen, then live comfortably off the avails of the goods they resell for big profits."

The suspects arrested in March, April and May include two men and three women, ranging in age from their 40s to their 60s.

Police say searches of two East Vancouver homes led to the recovery of $233,000 worth of stolen property and the seizure of two Toyota vehicles that investigators believe were being used to move the goods out of the Downtown Eastside.

At another property near Trout Lake Park, police say they seized $107,000 worth of stolen property as well as $10,000 worth of cocaine and fentanyl.

Police say the arrests are among nearly 1,200 they've made since launching a project to clamp down on "violent and chronic shoplifting" in February 2023.

MORE National ARTICLES

Russian disinformation on Twitter targets Canada

Russian disinformation on Twitter targets Canada
A University of Calgary analysis of over 6 million tweets and retweets — and where they originate from — has found that Canada is being targeted by foreign powers trying to influence public opinion here.

Russian disinformation on Twitter targets Canada

Child benefit cost lower because of COVID aid: PBO

Child benefit cost lower because of COVID aid: PBO
The report, released Wednesday, focuses on the effect the Canada Emergency Response Benefit and the Canada Recovery Benefits had on child benefit payments to families. It provided costing estimates for several scenarios.

Child benefit cost lower because of COVID aid: PBO

BC Ferries fined $674,000 over worker's death

BC Ferries fined $674,000 over worker's death
The worker leaned onto a fabric webbing panel that broke away when he was trying to retrieve an item floating in the water, and he drowned. The agency says the worker wasn't wearing a life-jacket and the fabric panels were insufficient at stopping him from falling into the water below.    

BC Ferries fined $674,000 over worker's death

B.C. launches fire prevention project amid deaths

B.C. launches fire prevention project amid deaths
The Office of the Fire Commissioner's annual report says fire-related deaths have increased in B.C. by 119 per cent since 2020 and victims older than 65 were overly represented.

B.C. launches fire prevention project amid deaths

Public Health Agency of Canada issues a Level 2 Travel Health Notice on monkeypox for many countries

Public Health Agency of Canada issues a Level 2 Travel Health Notice on monkeypox for many countries
During your travel, you may be subject to procedures at your destination put in place to limit the spread of monkeypox, such as isolation, should you become infected. You may have limited access to timely and appropriate health care should you become ill, and may experience delays in returning home.

Public Health Agency of Canada issues a Level 2 Travel Health Notice on monkeypox for many countries

Summit Day 1: Biden to Kimmel, Trudeau to Barbados

Summit Day 1: Biden to Kimmel, Trudeau to Barbados
Before his leader-level meetings get underway, Biden is sitting down to tape an appearance with talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel. Trudeau, who arrived in Los Angeles late Tuesday, is getting down to work on environmental priorities with Barbados counterpart Mia Mottley.

Summit Day 1: Biden to Kimmel, Trudeau to Barbados