Police recovered a large haul of stolen property as well as all the equipment used to make hundreds of fake I.D.’s.
West Shore RCMP Street Crime Unit and the Regional Crime Unit executed the search warrant in a condo building on the 1300 block of Bear Mountain Parkway, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m.
About 500 cards varying from drivers licences, bank cards, gift cards, social insurance cards and gift cards. Some of the cards were blank and others had names and photos. Police are working to identify the people on the cards. A printer, scanner, card printer and laminator were also recovered.
“Obviously there has been a significant amount of work put into this (operation),” said acting Sgt. Kathy Rochlitz.
With the number of cards recovered, RCMP speculate many were likely taken from vehicles.
“Our biggest problem we deal with is theft from vehicles,” Rochlitz said. “We encourage people to lock their vehicles and clean them out. You can’t put a $25 gift card or gas card in the glove box. Those items need to be removed every time you park the car.”
Police also recovered six laptops, two Canadian passports, a box of gold rings, two Gucci watches, break and enter tools, a 42-inch TV and various other cameras and electronics.
West Shore RCMP Street Crime Unit discovered some of the items are connected to thefts and break and enters in Saanich, Victoria and Nanaimo.
Peter Bigcharles, 37, and Amanda Chinn, 22, are in custody until they go to court, Dec. 13. Both had numerous court-ordered conditions from previous offenses. Bigcharles is charged with identity theft, possession of break-in instruments, two counts of possession of stolen property and breach of court order. Chinn is charged with identity theft, possession of break-in instruments and two counts of possession of stolen property.