Five people have been arrested after Surrey police say they nabbed two stolen vans in two unrelated incidents in March.
The first stolen van was found on March 17 in a Surrey parking lot. Police say two people were inside the 1999 Ford work van, as was about $8,000 of contents. The van was reported stolen earlier in the day.
Surrey RCMP say police arrested a 41-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman. The driver of the vehicle was released on conditions with a future court date.
A few weeks later, on March 31, Surrey RCMP say its Auto Theft Target Team found a work van that was reported stolen from Langley. Three people were taken into custody. Police say they found other stolen property inside the van, including Toyota Tacoma tailgates.
Devin Wilkinson, 25, is charged with Possession of a Break-in instrument, two counts of Fail to Comply with Release Order, two counts of Possession of Property Obtained by a crime under $5000 and two counts of Theft Under $5000.
Rupinder Sooch, 38, is charged with Take/ Occupy a vehicle without consent, Possession of a Weapon for a Dangerous Purpose and Possession of Ammunition.
Surrey RCMP media relations officer Corporal Vanessa Munn says the auto crime team has prioritized the theft of work vans.
They recognize the lasting impact these thefts can have on a person’s livelihood,
says Munn. These two examples are unrelated, but demonstrate our commitment to quickly locating stolen vehicles and bringing those responsible before the courts.
April is Auto Crime Enforcement Month and police are encouraging owners to ‘be car smart’ by taking extra steps and necessary precautions to lock your vehicles and make them unattractive to thieves.
Police say the best way to protect your vehicle from being stolen is to lock it, be vigilant with extra vehicle keys and use an anti-theft device.
