#1. SOUTH ASIAN ARRESTED IN VANCOUVER SEXUAL ASSAULT CASES
Investigators have made an arrest in a series of sexual assaults that happened in the Riley Park and Queen Elizabeth Park areas between May 20 and June 3, after following up some tips that came in.
Mohammed Farzad Ali, a 19-year-old Vancouver resident, has been charged with five counts of sexual assault and one count of break and enter.
Anyone with any information on Ali is asked to call the Vancouver Police Sex Crimes Unit at 604-717-3117.
#2. MORE THAN $1 MILLION SEIZED AT BORDER FROM SURREY MAN
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Pacific Highway port of entry arrested a 31-year-old Surrey, British Columbia, man for attempting to smuggle over one million dollars into the United States concealed in the cab of his commercial truck.
Navraj Bal was taken into custody on July 10 by CBP officers when a x-ray of his tractor-trailer combination revealed an anomaly in both sleeping bunks located in the berth of his cab. A narcotics detector canine named “Rover” was employed to search and alerted to the bunk area. Officers then conducted a thorough search of the bunks and determined that both contained modified compartments.
Using pry bars and other tools, officers retrieved a total of 22 vacuum-sealed plastic bags from the two bunks which contained a total of $1,130,080. Bal was immediately taken into custody and turned over to agents of U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement.
Bal was also a voluntary participant in the Free And Secure Trade (FAST) program, which is a U.S. / Canada trusted traveler effort to provide expedited entry of approved commercial truck drivers crossing the northern border. A violation of this program subjects the participant to prosecution under the fullest extent of the law.
American federal law requires the reporting of all negotiable monetary instruments in excess of $10,000 when imported into or exported from the United States. Smuggling large sums of currency can result in an arrest and heavy fines. “Experience tells us that this is the criminal element attempting to circumvent the law of honest work and wages,” said Assistant Port Director Lynn Gardner. “While our focus is on terrorism prevention, interruption of the financial proceeds of crime is just as important to our law enforcement mission.”
This is the largest currency seizure ever in the Blaine area port system surpasses the previous records of $450,000 in July 2001 and a $373,000 at the Sumas port of entry in December 2007, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
#3. ASIM CHAUDHRY STILL MISSING
Mansura Chaudry made a plea to the public to call police with any information that may help her locate her son Asim. She also begged Asim to call her or a friend should he not wish to come home.
Asim Chaudry is now 25 years old and has not been seen since July 20, 2007 at about 10 p.m. Burnaby RCMP say police have followed up on any and all leads but have not located him.
At the time, Burnaby RCMP Cpl. Jane Baptista told the media: “He was apparently going to study for an upcoming exam at the Simon Fraser University Library. His family, friends and acquaintances have not seen or heard from him and have no idea as to where he may be. They are very concerned for his well being. Asim Chaudhry spends much of his time either at the university or at home."
This week, his mother said that Asim he left home with a bag of clothes and left the textbook he had been studying on the dining room table. She said she and her husband were going through a separation at the time and this might have affected her son. He had been reading a lot of books and the last one was a handbook on pessimism. Also, although he had graduated from SFU with a bachelor’s in political science last year, he could not find a job.
Mansura appealed to him to come home, assuring him that all problems could be worked out.
His description given a year ago: Indo-Canadian male, slim build, 6 feet 2 inches tall, black short curly hair and a beard, sometimes wears glasses, last seen wearing dark grey sweatpants.
If anyone has any knowledge of Asim's whereabouts, they are asked to call Burnaby RCMP at 604-294-7922 or CrimeStoppers.
#4. ‘RESTAURANT WATCH’ PROGRAM FOR VANCOUVER
Vancouver Police Superintendent Warren Lemcke announced Thursday a new public safety initiative aimed at keeping organized criminals out of Vancouver restaurants. Similar to the successful Bar Watch program, Restaurant Watch will involve staff and owners of local restaurants calling police if they suspect someone fits these four criteria: gang member, gang associate, drug trafficker, and someone with propensity for violence.
The onus will be on police to determine if the people are actually removed from the restaurant, providing a measure of safety and security for the staff. In addition, uniform and plainclothes officers will do periodic walk-throughs of participating restaurants.
Mark Von Schellwitz, Western Canada Vice President of the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association, says their members want to send a clear message: “Organized criminals are not welcome in Vancouver restaurants.”
“We have 40 downtown restaurants committed to this program,” says Ian Tostenson, President and CEO of BCRFA, the British Columbia Restaurant and Foodservices Association. “We anticipate that number will grow after this launch.”
Lemcke says the program will give more eyes and ears to police and ensure the public has a safe and enjoyable experience while dining out. “We’re not going to tolerate violence from these criminals,” he says. “They’re not welcome in the city of Vancouver.”
#5. RCMP NEED HELP TO ID SUSPECTS IN STABBING CASE
On the March 15 at 1:33 a.m., RCMP in Surrey were called to a report of a stabbing near the City Center Brew Pub at 102nd Avenue and 135th Street. Attempts by the police to identify those responsible for this grievous assault have met with limited success so far.
Surrey RCMP Sgt. Roger Morrow said: “Shortly before 1:30 a.m., two small groups can be seen exiting the liquor establishment; one group of three men and one women and a second group of five men all of whom appear to be in their twenties. After an initial skirmish between the two, the group of five can be seen in a center court yard talking.
“As the smaller group appears to be trying to exit the area, the group of five surround them and a violent fight ensues. Immediately one of the men (in the larger group) can be seen producing a large knife estimated to be 12-24" in length and lunging at one of his victims striking him on the right side of the neck. The attacker then re-directs his weapon, stabbing a second victim this time in the torso and according to physicians the wound came within one inch of striking the subjects heart.
“With the second victim collapsing to the ground in grave condition, the five suspects proceed to repeatedly kick this victim about his body and head until finally fended off by the victims associates.
“The five suspects are then seen fleeing to two vehicles in a nearby parking lot; an older model dark green Ford F150 and a smaller dark coloured car.”
If you can help to identify anybody involved in the incident, you can contact the investigators at 604-599-0502 and ask from Cst. Simran Grewal.
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