SURREY – After targeting elderly South Asian women in Vancouver through distraction theft of expensive jewelry, the alleged con-artists have moved their operation to the Surrey-Delta area, stealing a ring with seven, one-carat diamonds, was stolen from a 75-year-old woman on Sunday afternoon in North Delta.
Several victims from Vancouver’s South Asian community have come forward and police described this as the modus operandi of the thieves: “Someone comes up and says ‘Hello’ in Hindi and then has a full on conversation with the person,” he explains. “Meanwhile, they’re taking off their necklace, they’re taking off their bracelet, they’re taking off their rings and it’s not until the person turns around to walk away [that] they recognize their ring is missing or their bracelet is missing and the suspect is now gone with their property.”
Vancouver Police had issued a warning to the South Asian community to make their elders, especially South Asian women, aware that criminals are using string of distraction thefts to target them. Vancouver Police think the thieves are zeroing in on the elderly South Asian women for the gold jewellery they traditionally wear.
And now Surrey RCMP have also given a warning and joined the hunt for a pair of thieves taking jewelry from women who are now targeting the elderly in Surrey-Delta.
On Aug. 13, a heavy-set South Asian or Middle-Eastern woman with gold teeth approached another woman and tried to put some fake jewelry on her.
During the exchange, the large woman stole two bracelets from the woman being targeted.
The thief then got into a car and took off.
Then, on Aug. 30, what is believed to be the same woman approached an elderly Asian woman with a similar scheme, and then took her necklace.
Police say the thefts occurred in the Whalley and Newton areas.
And on Aug. 31 in North Delta, a 75-year-old woman was unloading groceries from her car when a woman fitting the above description asked her for directions to Surrey Memorial Hospital, reported the Surrey Leader.
Seemingly grateful for the help, the heavy-set woman handed the Delta senior a necklace.
When she reached for it, the woman grabbed her other hand and pulled a ring with seven one-carat diamonds from her finger.
The thief fled to a waiting vehicle with a man in the driver’s seat, and the pair sped off in the grey, four-door car.
The Delta senior’s family is offering a $5,000 reward for anyone with information that leads to the recovery of the stolen ring.
After this series of thefts, police are looking for a man and a woman, both dark-skinned and between 45 and 55 years old. The man has short dark hair and a goatee, and the woman is heavy-set with long, curly dark hair.
They are driving a grey, four-door sedan.
In Vancouver, the thieves had also used a similar modus operandi as the thieves have done in Surrey.
“Someone comes up and says ‘Hello’ in Hindi and then has a full on conversation with the person,” VPD explained. “Meanwhile, they’re taking off their necklace, they’re taking off their bracelet, they’re taking off their rings and it’s not until the person turns around to walk away [that] they recognize their ring is missing or their bracelet is missing and the suspect is now gone with their property.”
VPD said investigators believe they’re nailed down a motive.
“One of the things we’re looking at is the possibility that the South Asian community is being targeted because they’re wearing gold that is of high gold content that, on the market, can be easily be melted down or can be sold on the market as just raw gold.”
The VPD has shot a video, in which they re-created the crime; it’s goal is to warn the community of what’s happening.
Police remind the public of the following tips:
• Use discretion when wearing expensive or valuable jewelry in public;
• If approached by someone you don’t know, be skeptical of their claims and watch your belongings;
• Clearly tell the person that you are not interested and to leave you alone;
• If continually pressed, draw attention to the situation and call for help;
• Call 911 immediately after the incident to report it to the police;
• Try to observe the direction of travel of the suspect.
Anyone with information about these thefts is asked to call the Delta Police at 604-946-4411, Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
