Nanaimo RCMP say they’re worried about recent break-ins where it looks like the thieves were after guns.
12 rifles, 8 shotguns and three handguns have been taken in break-ins since December.
Police also say in some cases the crimes could have been prevented with a little more thought to security. The thieves got into garages where the gun-safes were kept.
On February 20th on Rockwood Place. The homeowner went out to his driveway in the morning to find his truck gone, the garage door open, and firearms gone as well. The garage door opener had been left in the truck.
5 days later a homeowner on Blackcombe forgot to close his garage door before turning in for the night and lost two high end bikes as well as three handguns and a shotgun.
It’s not clear if any of the break-ins are connected, and there’s only a description of suspects in the most recent one.
An Invermere Road home was ransacked while the homeowners were on vacation, four firearms from a gun case were take.  Neighbours say they saw two men loading a white van on March 30th, and the the driver was white and the passenger either South Asian or black.
“Some of these occurrences vary slightly but there is a common theme. Thieves are recognizing home owners are using their garages to store high end items such as firearms, mountain bikes, tools, etc and have found a relatively silent and simple way to break in,” says Constable Gary O’Brien of the Nanaimo RCMP. “Never leave garage door openers in unattended vehicles. Gun cases should if possible, be mounted to floors or have other locking devices which secure it to something un-moveable.”
If you have any information call Nanaimo RCMP at 250-754-2345 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477
