Two men and a woman from Victoria are facing charges after a stolen elephant carving led police officers to hundreds of other stolen items.
Police were called to Hillside Mall on June 10 after a man was seen grabbing a carved wooden elephant from a store and running away with it.
After watching surveillance footage VicPD recognized the man as a prolific property offender.
With the help of Sidney RCMP, Victoria police found there were three individuals involved, and discovered other stolen goods including a large number of dolls, bedding linens, statues and electronics.
“Store staff, mall security personnel, private citizens and our RCMP partners all played a role in helping our officers with this investigation,” Acting Chief Const. Colin Watson said.
The overall value of the stolen items is estimated at around $100,000.
One of the men involved remains in police custody.
Several charges are pending, police say.
Officers will be working to return the items to their rightful owners in the coming weeks and months.
Anyone who believes they may have been victim to one of the thefts is asked to call VicPD at (250)-995-7654.
