Surrey RCMP say two men have been charged with firearm offences after searching an oil-change business in the 7200-block of 128th Street on Feb. 13.
The investigation, according to a news release from police Wednesday (Feb. 27), was started by the Surrey RCMP Community Response Unit “as a follow up on suspicious activity reported in association to the location of a local oil change business.”
The investigation resulted in charges against two Surrey men, and the seizure of property including a sawed-off rifle, police said. During the investigation, police said they found and seized “a number of items including a large amount of personal identification, credit cards and passports believed to be stolen as well as a sawed-off rifle.”
Charged with a number of offences are Steven Werner, 57, and Movin Nur, 37.
Werner has been charged with four counts of possession of identity documents; possession of a firearm while prohibited to do so; unauthorized possession of a firearm; unsafe storage of a firearm; possession of a stolen or forged credit card; and possession of property obtained by crime.
Nur has been charged with three counts of possession of stolen or forged credit card; two counts of possession, trafficking in, or use of credit card data and personal authentication information; unauthorized use of a credit card; possession of identity documents; and fail to comply with condition of an undertaking or recognizance.
Staff Sergeant Winston Shorey, the south community response unit commander, said this investigation is “an excellent example” of the community response unit’s “ability to effectively target commercial operations that are being used to victimize our community.”
The community response units “provide targeted enforcement of problematic areas and individuals identified through intelligence, neighbourhood complaints and crime analysis/trends,” the release states.
“They provide uniformed deployment to address crime, nuisance activity, and neighborhood safety through pro-active policing strategies.”
On Thursday (Feb. 28), the City of Surrey said in a news release that it has rescinded the business licence of Total Rapid Oil (7227 128th St.), following the Surrey RCMP’s investigation of the business.
In the news release, Mayor Doug McCallum said the decision to rescind the licence “is not only the right action to take but makes it clear that the City of Surrey will immediately take action when criminal activity is alleged to have taken place at a business.”
“The police are doing their job with their investigations and arrests, and the City will do what is within our purview to shut down businesses associated with criminal activity,” McCallum said.
lauren.collins@surreynowleader.com
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