Sikh temple thieves

METRO VANCOUVER -- Police released security photos Wednesday of two men suspected in the break and enter of possibly dozens of vehicles at Lower Mainland Sikh temples, and are asking for help from the public in identifying them.

The suspects, who focus on cash and credit cards with which they make thousands of dollars in fraudulent purchases, are connected through both their methods and witness descriptions to similar smash and grab instances at temples and Asian markets in Delta, Richmond, Surrey, Langley and Vancouver, according to police.

Abbotsford police Const. Ian MacDonald said police acquired surveillance footage from a local store showing the two suspects exiting a well-known electronics franchise seconds after a stolen credit card was used to purchase a $3,000 television.

The images show two South Asian men wheeling out a large LCD, or plasma screen TV.

One man is described as 30 years old, with a medium build and black hair, the second, 50 years old, heavy set with black hair and eyeglasses.

MacDonald said investigators with gang experience have had images of the suspects since November, and after examination of the Abbotsford break and enter were able to link the two suspects' methods to a rash of similar incidents at Sikh temples all across the Lower Mainland.

Linking the crimes displayed a pattern, said MacDonald, which suggests the involvement of organized crime.

"We believe there are definitely dozens of instances, unfortunately we believe not all of them have been reported."

Citing a language barrier as the probable cause for many of the unreported thefts, MacDonald said the fact that the people being zeroed-in on predominantly only use English as a second language is no accident.

"This targeting is taking place as part of the MO of the perpetrators," said MacDonald, who added that their intimate cultural knowledge of the community makes the crimes that much more disappointing.

"The South Asian community appears to be targeted by two members of its own," he said.

RArnott@abbotsfordtimes.com

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