Police located two loaded handguns after a stolen vehicle was tracked from Abbotsford to Maple Ridge on Monday night (July 18).
Sgt. Paul Walker, media officer with the Abbotsford Police Department (APD), said the incident began when a resident in the 34900 block of Cassiar Avenue in Abbotsford reported just before 8 p.m. that their truck had been stolen from their driveway.
APD officers were dispatched to the scene and, a short time later, a member of the Integrated Police Dog Service located the truck travelling along Highway 1.
Walker said the vehicle was covertly followed into the Maple Ridge area, with the assistance of Langley, Surrey and Ridge Meadows RCMP, as well as the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit.
ALSO SEE: Driver leaving Abbotsford in stolen vehicle gets stuck on Highway 1 in Langley
Walker said the three suspects who had left the vehicle were arrested after a short dog track. The three males – ages 17, 20 and 24 – are from Abbotsford, Maple Ridge and Vancouver.
The two guns were located after the trio were searched, Walker said. They face firearms charges and charges of possession of stolen property.
Walker said the incident is an example that jurisdictional boundaries do not apply to criminals, and the arrests were the result of teamwork by police from various agencies.
“Quite often, these offenders travel to many areas within the Lower Mainland on a given day. Our front-line officers continue to see offenders involved in crime carrying firearms to protect themselves, which is a concern for us,” he said.
Walker said the public is encouraged to report crimes in progress by calling 911 and to not engage with the culprits.
ALSO SEE: Driver flees from police in Abbotsford and tracked by helicopter to Chilliwack
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One of two loaded handguns that was found on a trio who drove a stolen vehicle from Abbotsford to Maple Ridge on Monday night (July 18). (Abbotsford Police photo)
