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Surrey men ordered to pay $344K for fraud scheme

Court found stolen vehicles were being re-registereed in Alberta and sold in B.C.
32847surreyICBC

Members of a Surrey fraud ring are being ordered to pay $344,000 to ICBC.

B.C. Supreme Court ruled Jaspal Atwal, Vikram Atwal, Jasraj Bains and Jagjit Gill, all from Surrey, created phoney Alberta registration documents for stolen vehicles, re-registered them and sold them to B.C. buyers.

B.C. Supreme Court Justice A.F. Cullen found it wasn't possible to determine the extent of any alleged conspiracy defendants profited from the scheme.

"However, I am satisfied that the combination of special and punitive damages that I have awarded is adequate to deter and denounce the behaviour giving rise to these actions, by creating a significant financial burden on those who participated in this scheme."

ICBC was also awarded more than $131,000 in damages against four other people and a business that purchased the stolen vehicles.

The trial heard two civil actions out of five filed against 89 defendants, all participants in the same theft ring. The case was split into several phases due the number of defendants. Wednesday's judgment represents the second and third phases of the civil action. The fourth and fifth phases go to trial in November 2011.

In 2010, the B.C. Supreme Court heard the first phase of the action and awarded ICBC $293,395 in damages, plus costs, against 14 defendants.

@diakiw