Three men have been charged in a five-month long series of catalytic converter thefts in Surrey, police say.
Surrey RCMP say Stephen Pelland, 39, Chad Pollard, 40, and Richard Mantler, 49, were collectively charged with 13 offences related to the thefts, which allegedly occurred between March and through July of this year.
In August of 2019, Pelland was arrested for similar offences and was charged on 10 counts, including Theft Under $5000, Mischief Over $5000, and Driving While Prohibited.
Police say the Surrey RCMP Property Crime Target Team (PCTT) initiated a project in September 2019, in response to a rise of catalytic converter thefts. The charges, which were laid between July and August of this year, were a result of the ongoing PCTT investigation, RCMP say.
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Thieves target catalytic converters for their metals, which are then converted to cash when they are sold as scrap. They often target vehicles that are higher up from the ground, such as minivans or SUVs, which allow easier access to the underside where the catalytic converter is located.
Corporal Sean McInnes of the Surrey RCMP Property Crime Target Team says catalytic converter thefts are not only a financial burden for the vehicle owner they also contribute to the rise in insurance premiums.
Anyone with information about auto crime is asked to contact Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502, or Crime Stoppers, if they wish to remain anonymous, at 1-800-222-8477 or solvecrime.ca.
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