Amazon delivery driver stole packages to sell on Facebook Marketplace: Burnaby RCMP

A package from Amazon Prime is loaded for delivery on a UPS truck, in New York on Tuesday, May 9, 2017. (The Canadian Press / AP, Mark Lennihan)

Several Metro Vancouver residents haven’t received their online purchases in recent months due to alleged theft by an Amazon delivery driver.

The string of package thefts was chronicled in the Burnaby RCMP’s most recent report to the city’s public safety committee. It said that on Sept. 10, Amazon contacted Mounties to advise them one of their employees was failing to deliver products and instead selling them on Facebook Marketplace. 

According to Amazon’s investigation, the driver was associated with 32 instances where customers did not get their packages—despite the employee reporting deliveries as complete.

Members of Burnaby’s Prolific Offender Suppression Team (POST) reportedly found the driver’s home and confirmed that the products they were selling were in fact stolen Amazon purchases.

A search warrant at the Vancouver home revealed the stolen items, and the 28-year-old driver was arrested, according to Mounties. Police are recommending 32 counts of theft under $5,000, which, as of Wednesday, are not yet approved.

Cpl. Mike Kalanj of Burnaby RCMP told CTV News the approximate value of the stolen Amazon packages was $2,200.

He added several people have been re-united with their items.

Kalanj said he advises people to check their mailboxes often. “We’re approaching the holiday season and we tend to see an increase in mail theft this time of year. It’s always a good idea to frequently check, but even more so with more packages being delivered,” he wrote in an email.

“Also, if they are sending packages out, letting their friends and family know to expect them is a good way to avoid becoming a victim of mail theft.”