16 Punjab-origin men charged with mail theft, fraud in Canada

The accused used to steal mail by breaking into mailboxes, targeting cheques, credit cards and identification documents

The Canadian police have charged 16 Punjab-origin men with more than 140 offences after a six-week investigation involving mail theft, fraud over $5,000, identity theft, uttering a forged document, possession of stolen property and controlled substances.

16 Punjab-origin men charged with mail theft, fraud in Canada

According to media reports, investigators scrutinised more than 100 reports of mail thefts and incidents of mischief in the Region of Peel between January and April this year and they discovered links to numerous parties residing in Brampton. In May, investigators began collaborating with their partners at Canada Post, Halton Regional Police Service, Ontario Provincial Police, and financial institutions.

The accused used to allegedly steal mail by breaking into Canada Post mailboxes or individual roadside residential mailboxes, targeting cheques, credit cards and identification documents. They would then allegedly alter and deposit the stolen cheques into various banks before withdrawing the funds fraudulently, the police was quoted in Canadian media reports.

Investigators began arresting the accused in mid-May and on June 16, two search warrants were conducted at residences in Brampton, where officers located hundreds of pieces of mail, stolen/altered cheques, printers, scanners, and other tools used to forge documents. The investigators also located six stolen vehicles used by suspects, it was reported.

Further arrests and charges are anticipated in relation to this investigation, said police.