Two men are facing nearly two dozen charges after a series of robberies and break-and-enter incidents over a four-week period in the Lower Mainland.
Charges were announced Tuesday in connection with several crimes that occurred in seven jurisdictions between Feb. 20 and March 13.
Coquitlam Mounties have said little about the robberies, but have identified the suspects as 20-year-old Nicholas Lenard Traviss and 26-year-old Dillon Juel Stanton.
Traviss and Stanton both face 10 counts of robbery with a firearm. Stanton has also been charged with one count of possessing a firearm without a licence and one count of possessing the identity documents of another person.
Police said they recovered a replica pistol on the day of their arrests, and obtained a search warrant for a storage locker in Coquitlam believed to be associated with the men. They believe the replica firearm was used by the men to carry out more than a dozen robberies, mostly at convenience stores.
In the locker, officers found stolen property they connected to four separate break-and-enter cases. They said they also recovered 13 firearms, at least four of which had illegal modifications including filed-off serial numbers. Officers believe the guns were stolen during residential break-ins.
Also recovered in the investigation were cigarettes, vaping supplies, video games, gaming consoles and lottery tickets, police said. The stolen items likely would have been sold or traded, police said.
"This is a complicated investigation and more charges are possible," Coquitlam RCMP Cpl. Michael McLaughlin said in a news release.
"We are still in the process of returning stolen goods and forwarding evidence to Crown Counsel."
Police used the opportunity to remind the public of the importance of taking photos and recording serial numbers of their valuables. McLaughlin said investigators often have trouble returning stolen goods to their owners if victims of thefts don't have a record of valuable items stolen.
Coquitlam Mounties credited officers in Abbotsford, Burnaby, Langley, Mission, Ridge Meadows and Surrey for their help in the investigation.
Traviss and Stanton remain in custody, and are expected to make their next court appearance on Wednesday.
With files from CTV Vancouver's Sheila Scott
