Suspected gas bandit busted by Port Moody police over weekend
A man allegedly caught in the act of siphoning more than 120 litres of gasoline was arrested by Port Moody Police (PMP) on Saturday morning.
In the early morning hours of Aug. 5, approximately 2:30 a.m., a PMP frontline officer conducting foot patrols noticed a suspicious vehicle with jerry cans in plain view near the 3100 block of Murray Street.
The middle-aged suspect was found hiding from the officer nearby.
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Eleven jerry cans were seized from the suspect, seven of which had already been filled, said Const. Sam Zacharias, media relations officer with the PMP.
The PMP described the break and enter as “elaborate” in a press release. Multiple charges are being recommended to Crown prosecutors.
It’s not uncommon to see increases in property crime during the summer months, Zacharias said, noting an increase in bicycle and catalytic converter thefts over the last two months.
This incident, however, was “quite unusual,” according to Zacharias – although it did still involve a hose.
“It’s a fairly large (gas) canister, and they actually had to manipulate the canister, climb on top of it, open it up through a series of mechanisms,” Zacharias said. “It wasn’t as simple as popping a gas tank in a car, right. It’s a lot more intensive than that.”
While siphoning gas is not all that uncommon a crime, Zacharias said this file was unique due to its sophistication and probable premeditation.
This type of crime is difficult to prevent, according to PMP, but they are encouraging the public to report any suspicious behaviour to police immediately.
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