A trio of teens was taken into custody after an alleged road rage incident in Surrey perpetrated in a rental car.

A motorist called police on Wednesday evening to report that they'd been cut off by a grey Toyota Camry on 128th Street near 66th Avenue. The driver said they'd had some kind of "exchange" with the people in the other car, and that someone in the Camry had produced a firearm.

The driver was able to get the licence plate number of the Camry before it sped off, and called police to report it.

Dispatchers broadcast the plate number to all officers, adding that the vehicle had been last seen heading north on 128th.

A short time later, a marked police car was travelling north on 130th when the officer saw the Camry heading the opposite direction. As the car began to make a U-turn, the Camry drove into the northbound lane, forcing traffic to swerve to avoid crashing.

"The vehicle then accelerated at a high rate of speed failing to stop for a number of red lights, and was lost from sight of the police," a statement from RCMP said.

Meanwhile, officers traced the plate number, and found that the registered owner of the vehicle was a rental company.

The next day, the vehicle was spotted by an RCMP officer in the Whalley area at approximately 7:40 p.m. The officer did not turn on the cruiser's lights, not realizing at first that it was the same car involved in Wednesday's events.

But "for no apparent reason, other than it saw the police vehicle," the driver of the Camry began driving erratically, crossing into oncoming traffic and running red lights, police said.

Fearing for police safety, officers did not engage in a chase and made no attempt to stop the car.

The RCMP's Lower Mainland helicopter happened to be in the area, and its crew spotted the vehicle and followed it from the air.

Police said the Camry's driver continued to run red lights, swerve into oncoming traffic and travel at a high rate of speed.

The vehicle eventually pulled into the underground parking lot at Guilford Mall, where it was met by a number of police vehicles.

Three occupants of the Camry fled on foot, but were soon sniffed out by police dogs, aided by directions from witnesses.

The teens were taken into custody, and the Camry was seized for further investigation.

The RCMP asks anyone with more information to contact them at 604-599-0502, or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).