Police in B.C. say three face charges over stolen beer, food and toilet paper

BURNABY — Mounties in Burnaby, B.C., have recovered pallets of beer, food and enough toilet paper and paper towels to supply a town in an investigation into the theft of shipping containers.

RCMP say in a news release that three containers that held merchandise worth about $125,000 were stolen last August from a business in the city.

They say the empty containers were found on a property in nearby Port Coquitlam a week later, but no arrests were made.

Then in November, police say another container was stolen from the same business with about $60,000 worth of goods.

Police say they used a warrant to search a warehouse in Surrey in February and found a semi truck, forklift, 51 pallets of toilet paper, 42 pallets of paper towels, two pallets of beer and five more of food.

The RCMP says three men, ranging in age from 40 to 54 and all from the Lower Mainland, face numerous potential charges, including theft, trafficking in property obtained by crime and possession of property obtained by crime.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 15, 2025.