A B.C. man has been charged in connection to trafficking hundreds of catalytic converters, police say.
Jasvindar Singh, 50, of Surrey has been charged with attempting to possess and traffic property over $5,000 that was obtained by a crime.
The Burnaby RCMP’s Prolific Offender Suppression Team (POST) launched an investigation after a rise of catalytic converter thefts in the city in 2021.
The investigation, called Project E-Pagwa, identified Singh as a suspect "who was allegedly knowingly purchasing stolen catalytic converters from property crime offenders across the Lower Mainland," notes a Burnaby RCMP release Wednesday (June 26).
Singh ran a mobile metal recycling business where he salvaged vehicles and "legitimately shipped catalytic converters across the border in bulk." Allegedly, he was also purchasing stolen catalytic convertors and including them in the shipments bound for the United States, police say.
Burnaby RCMP executed a search warrant on June 1, 2023, at four locations related to Singh.
"In total, 439 catalytic converters, including 392 pre-packaged for shipment to the U.S., were seized," notes the release.
“The accused was alleged to be heavily involved in the purchase of stolen catalytic converters, resulting in the largest catalytic converter seizure our officers have ever seen,” said Sgt. Jamie Belleville, with Burnaby RCMP’s Prolific Offender Suppression Team. “This was a lengthy and complicated investigation that utilized a number of investigative techniques, including an undercover operation.”
Singh is set to make his first appearance in Surrey Provincial Court on July 2, according to Court Services Online.
