Two men have been charged after a police investigation into a series of "coordinated" robberies at gas stations and convenience stores in Surrey, Burnaby and Richmond last year.
Police got reports of six commercial robberies between Aug. 9 and Sept. 18 in 2023, and investigators believed the cases were linked, according to a Surrey RCMP news release Friday.
In three of the incidents, the suspects allegedly drove a stolen vehicle through the front doors of the businesses to get inside, police said.
Four of the robberies were in Surrey, one in Burnaby and one in Richmond.
The robbery in Burnaby took place on Sept. 5.
Surrey RCMP's robbery unit headed up the investigation, and a search warrant in Surrey turned up evidence, including a loaded shotgun and ammunition.
Investigators identified two suspects, and charges were laid last week.
Surrey's Stephen Michael Ernest Webber, 42, and Adrian Craig William Horsburgh, 37, have both been charged with six counts of robbery.
Webber (who is also known as Steven Michael Cooper and Stephen Cooper-Webber, according to Court Services Online) has also been charged with one count each of possessing a prohibited or non-restricted firearm, unsafe storage of a firearms and possession of a firearm without a valid licence or registration.
"This is just another example that crime has no boundaries and information sharing between police agencies is vital to solve crimes," Surrey RCMP Sgt. Tammy Lobb said in the release.
Webber and Horsburgh are in custody pending their next court appearance on Oct. 10.
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