Comox Valley RCMP are seeking the public’s help in identifying three suspects involved in a Canada Day fraud incident at a local Canadian Tire store.
The suspects allegedly stole over $4,500 worth of welding equipment by manipulating the checkout process.
On July 1st, the three individuals were caught on surveillance cameras inside the Canadian Tire store in Courtenay.
The suspects were observed systematically replacing boxes of inexpensive items with significantly more expensive welding equipment without paying for the higher-priced merchandise.
The incident took place during the festivities of Canada Day when many shoppers were present at the store.
RCMP were alerted to the fraudulent activity when staff at the store noticed discrepancies in their inventory records.
After reviewing the surveillance footage, it became evident that the suspects were intentionally exploiting the checkout process to walk away with valuable welding equipment without proper payment.
To aid in the investigation, the Comox Valley RCMP is urging the public to come forward with any information that might help identify the three suspects. Police have released images from the surveillance footage and are hopeful that someone in the community will recognize the individuals involved.
Sergeant Janet Myers of the Comox Valley RCMP emphasized the importance of community cooperation in such cases, stating, “Our ability to solve cases like this depends greatly on the assistance we receive from the public. We encourage anyone with information related to this incident to come forward and help us bring those responsible to justice.”
Anyone with information pertaining to the identity of the suspects or details about the incident is urged to contact the Comox Valley RCMP at (250) 338-1321 and reference file number 2023-10502.
