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Aldergrove police raid nets stolen cars, drugs

A Maple Ridge man was arrested by Langley RCMP in Abbotsford.
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A Maple Ridge man was arrested by Langley Mounties last week after police raided an Abbotsford property and found stolen vehicles and drugs.

Langley RCMP Traffic Section officers were investigating a stolen vehicle, and had a warrant for a property in the 27600 block of Downes Road, on the Abbotsford side of the Abbotsford-Langley border.

With the Abbotsford Police Emergency Response Team and the Air One police helicopter, officers swooped on the lot on the afternoon of Jan. 4, said Cpl. Holly Largy, spokesperson for the Langley RCMP.

As police gathered outside the lot, they saw a stolen Dodge Challenger drive off. The car had been stolen earlier that day from Surrey.

The Challenger allegedly tried to evade police, but was boxed in by two Lower Mainland Police Dog Services vehicles, Largy said.

The driver was arrested without incident after that. A search of the suspect and vehicle resulted in the recovery of cocaine, marijuana, and enough methamphetamine to warrant a trafficking charge, Largy said.

After a four-hour check by the ERT, Langley investigators swept the property.

They found six stolen vehicles, a boat trailer, a truck canopy, and tools recovered.

Robert Allen Vrban, a 43-year-old Maple Ridge man, has been charged with possession of stolen property over $5,000, possession of a controlled substance and possession for the purpose of trafficking, and driving while disqualified.

He was held in custody pending a Jan. 10 court appearance.

“This is a classic case of ‘You never know what is going to happen during your day in policing.’” said Supt. Murray Power, officer in charge of the Langley RCMP detachment. “Our Langley members were engaged in a fairly straight forward search warrant execution that quickly turned into a multi-agency event over two days.”

He commended the cooperation with the Abbotsford PD, Air One, and Police Dog Services.



Matthew Claxton

About the Author: Matthew Claxton

Raised in Langley, as a journalist today I focus on local politics, crime and homelessness.
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