今日新闻：蒙特利尔警方破获机场犯罪团伙

md4 · 发表于 2002-12-20 07:50

今日新闻：蒙特利尔警方破获机场犯罪团伙

这些人曾大肆盗窃到达DOVAL机场的乘客，特别是亚洲乘客的钱财、笔记本电脑等，其中最大一单是从一中国乘客身上一次窃走十五万美金现金。

Airport gang grounded
Eight are accused of stealing from tourists through teamwork at Dorval and city hotels

PAUL CHERRY
The Gazette

Friday, December 20, 2002

Victor Manuel Pina Lopez pleaded not guilty to charges


A network of trickster thieves operating at Dorval airport and city hotels stole more than $1 million in cash and goods from unsuspecting tourists within the past year.

The Montreal police said they put an end to the network yesterday morning with the arrest of eight people.

The thieves targeted tourists with laptop computers but also stole luggage and once got $150,000 (U.S.) cash from a person who travels often between Asia and Canada. In 10 thefts alone, the thieves made off with more than $600,000 worth of goods.

One investigator estimated the network was responsible for more than a dozen thefts at the airport per month in the past year.

Despite the high success rate, there were no indications the thieves were getting inside information about what tourists were carrying with them, police said.

"They stole baggage, in particular from tourists from Asia," said Commander Lenny Lechman, of the Montreal police west operations centre. "They would target people who were distracted. They would try to go after their personal belongings. In many cases, they would try to steal their laptops (computers).

"If the person wasn't distracted they would use means to distract the person, some form of diversion. Something as simple as spilling ketchup or mustard on them or just throwing change at their feet."

Two or three people would be involved in one theft. One or two of the thieves would distract the person targeted while another would grab their luggage. Items like passports and credit cards were sold on the black market.

Almost all the suspected members of the network are originally from Peru or other South American countries, including four who were seeking refugee status in Canada. The government will seek to have them expelled. They are scheduled to have a detention hearing before the Immigration and Refugee Board this afternoon.

"If we consider that they are members of a network that is well organized, it is very possible that the only reason they were here was to take part in these criminal activities," said Robert Gervais, spokesman for Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Investigators suspect the network worked at other airports in Ontario. Some of the thieves are wanted on warrants for thefts that took place at an airport in Ottawa.

The people arrested face charges of theft, conspiracy and possession of stolen goods.

Four alleged members of the network were arrested before yesterday. Victor Manuel Pina Lopez, 42, of Montreal, was arrested twice, between Nov. 1 and Dec. 10, and has already appeared in a Montreal court, where he pleaded not guilty to charges of theft and conspiracy.

pcherry@thegazette.southam.ca

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