Manjinder Nagra, 22, faces charges of theft and robbery in connection to incidents between April 23 and June 7.
SURREY – Surrey RCMP charged an Indo-Canadian man with 15 counts of smartphone thefts. Manjinder Nagra, 22, faces charges of theft and robbery in connection to incidents between April 23 and June 6.
On June 6, Surrey RCMP arrested Manjinder Nagra, 22, who faces 14 counts of theft under $5,000 and one count of robbery, where it’s alleged he claimed to have a weapon.
For some time, police had been tracking the activity of a man using Craigslist to target individuals who want to buy or sell smartphones.
Police noticed a pattern when people who posted online advertisements looking to buy or sell smart phones, had their gadgets stolen from them after meeting with a man.
In a statement, Mounties said the man would gain the trust of the victim, at times offering collateral as an assurance, before running off with cash or the phone.
“The high liquidity and portability of these devices is an extremely attractive quality for these thieves,” Surrey RCMP Sgt. Drew Grainger said in a release.
“This arrest will hopefully minimize the number of these thefts that have recently emerged as a problem in the region and alert people to the potential risks associated to buying/selling these products online.”
According to Grainger, no weapon was used in the street-level thefts, but the threat of a weapon was sometimes implied.
The Mounties made a previous bust in an online smartphone scam allegedly operated by 18- and 19-year-old Newton-area males.
Zakaria Noor and Michael Lal were arrested in December 2011 and charged with 12 counts of theft-related charges.
This is the second significant arrest by the Surrey RCMP involving smart phones and online buying and selling. In December 2011, Surrey RCMP arrested three individuals who were involved in similar crimes.
Although overall robbery statistics have been decreasing in the City of Surrey, personal street robberies continue to be an area of concern for the Surrey RCMP. Police urge residents to continue to play a crucial role in reducing the potential of being a victim. Simple steps like remaining vigilant and trusting your instincts will help reduce the risk of being an easy target.
As part of the City of Surrey’s Crime Reduction Strategy, the Surrey RCMP continues to focus on prolific property crime offenders who commit a significant amount of crimes in our communities.
Nagra remains in custody and is expected to appear in court again June 18.
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