VANCOUVER -- A brazen mail theft is under investigation in Burnaby, with local police releasing photos and videos of suspects in the hope they'll be identified.
Burnaby RCMP shared the images on Tuesday, but say the theft happened on Oct. 1 at about 5:30 a.m.
In the video, two suspects – one with a scooter, the other with a bike – are seen breaking open a door to a building. Police say it's an apartment complex on Bonsor Avenue near Central Boulevard.
After prying the door open, the pair goes inside and another camera shows them opening all the mail slots and quickly grabbing handfuls of letters.
They then exit the building and ride away.
Police say one suspect is Asian and has a medium build with short dark hair. At the time of the video he was wearing a black jacket, white shirt, blue jeans, black shoes and a black and white mask.
The second suspect is white and has a medium build. Police say he was wearing a black baseball cap and a black mask with white writing. His pants, shoes and jacket were also all black.
While property crimes decreased in the city in 2020, Const. Aaron McCoy said mail theft specifically has increased by about a third.
"Unfortunately some people are very involved in targeting mail and they become quite good at it," McCoy said. "So things that the public should look out for is any sort of suspicious activity around mailboxes and if there is any you should contact police or Canada Post."
Officers also recommend checking and emptying mailboxes daily.
Mounties say anyone who recognizes these suspects should call 604-646-9999. Tips can also be left anonymously with Crime Stoppers.
