West Vancouver police have arrested two men they say are connected to a cache of stolen construction materials missing from across the Lower Mainland.
After tracking thousands of dollars of stolen construction material across Metro Vancouver, including items taken from North Shore building sites, West Vancouver police closed in on two suspects.
They watched as the two men broke into a storage locker at a Richmond construction site on Jan. 24.
Police then executed a search warrant at a Vancouver storage locker and uncovered hundreds of items they suspect are stolen, ranging from expensive tools to bike helmets and reams of wire.
The most expensive items were likely worth around $400.
Police have already returned 40 items to their owners and are hoping notifications on YouTube and Facebook will result in more tools ending up in their rightful boxes.
“Hopefully we can reunite a few more owners with their stuff,” said West Vancouver Police Department spokesman Const. Jeff Palmer.
Additional charges may be added if more of the items can be identified, according to Palmer.
It’s a good idea for construction managers to keep valuables off-site and review on-site security regularly, said Palmer.
Palmer also recommends anyone in the market for used tools maintain a healthy skepticism when offered clearance sale prices.
“If a bargain seems too good to be true, it might be somebody else’s stuff,” he said.
The two suspects, aged 31 and 33, are due in Richmond Provincial Court on Feb. 10.
