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Surrey man charged for downtown Nanaimo break-ins

Dec 8, 2017 | 9:03 AM

NANAIMO — A Surrey man is charged after taking an allegedly crime-filled vacation to Nanaimo.

RCMP said Olie Alexander Smith, 34 of Surrey, was arrested on Dec. 1 for allegedly breaking into several downtown Nanaimo apartment buildings and cars numerous times at the end of November.

“He was a motivated individual targeting specifically mailboxes and he knew what he was doing,” RCMP Cst. Gary O’Brien told NanaimoNewsNOW.

O’Brien said Smith caused $5,000 worth of damage to the intercoms at one of the apartment buildings and stole whatever mail he could.

After being arrested at his Surrey home, Smith was charged with five counts of breaking and entering, both theft and mischief under $5,000 and breaching his probation.

Smith is also facing firearms and drug charges based on what was allegedly found at his house.

O’Brien said seeing criminal come from the mainland to Nanaimo and Vancouver Island isn’t uncommon.

“We know we’re only separated by one ferry and criminals have caught on to that as well. They think we won’t catch them, but we’re a large organization with tentacles into various spots and we can find anyone we can who’s committed an offense.”

Smith is slated to next appear at Provincial Court in Nanaimo on Dec. 19.

 

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