BC Mounties seize $150,000 in stolen Lego and Jellycats

A 46-year-old Richmond man was arrested last month after police found more than $150,000 worth of stolen toys at his residence. RCMP seized more than 1,000 allegedly stolen items during a search in the Steveston neighbourhood on Feb. 29. Richmond RCMP Property Crime Unit executed a search warrant after tips from the public spurred an investigation into stolen toy listings online. Most of the seized property were Lego and Jellycat toys. Both brands have a dedicated community of enthusiasts and collectors. “There are many enthusiasts from both the Lego and Jellycat communities that are guided by ethical and lawful guidelines. We wish to thank those enthusiasts as well as the other concerned members of the community who assisted us in this investigation,” RCMP Sgt. Russel Yugai said in the release. The suspect has been released on police undertaking with conditions and the investigation is ongoing.  “This investigation sheds light on some dark corners of the retail theft sector – including the popularity and the resale value of such items and where such items end up. Property crime which includes retail theft, remains a steadfast priority for Richmond Detachment,” Sgt. Yugai said. Click here https://richmond.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=2122&languageId=1&contentId=82839 for tips on buying and selling online, click here https://richmond.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=2122&languageId=1&contentId=82961 for information about Richmond RCMP’s Safe Exchange Zone for online transactions. To contact a reporter for this story, email Jesse Tomas mailto:jtomas@infonews.ca  or call 250-488-3065 or email the editor mailto:news@infonews.ca . You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom mailto:tips@infonews.ca  and be entered to win a monthly prize draw. We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here https://infotel.ca/newsletter .