West Vancouver police and Coquitlam RCMP teamed up on a break-in case that led to the discovery of a large stash of stolen property.

The investigation began when police received a report about a break-in at a residence in the 500 block of Southborough Drive in West Vancouver on November 6.

Upon arriving at the location, West Vancouver officers found that the house had been ransacked and numerous items had been stolen, including cash and jewellery. The residents had been away on vacation at the time of the incident.

The total amount of personal property stolen was estimated to be worth about $198,000.

Investigators found an image captured on home surveillance cameras which helped them to identify a suspect from Port Coquitlam.

Then on November 20, West Vancouver police and Coquitlam RCMP worked together to use a search warrant at a residence in Port Coquitlam.

There, officers arrested the suspect and found a large quantity of stolen items, including two replica firearms, watches, collector coins, and thousands of dollars in Canadian, American, and international currency.

Not only were there items from the Southborough residence but Coquitlam RCMP Cpl. Michael McLaughlin stated in a news release that police also found a ledger of addresses that had been targeted by the suspect.

“There has been so much stolen property recovered that we’re still in the process of finding the proper owners,” Cpl. McLaughlin said. “We’re also in the process of establishing charges for at least five more B&Es in our jurisdiction.”

Michael Horyn, a 52-year-old man from Port Coquitlam, has been charged with breaking-and-entering and possession of stolen property.

He remains in custody until his next court appearance on Friday (December 13) in North Vancouver.

Police across the Lower Mainland have been recovering large quantities of stolen goods, including stolen items being hidden in an abandoned house in Burnaby and over $142,000 worth of items shoplifted or stolen and hidden in Delta.

Today (December 11), the Vancouver Police Department announced that they shut down a black-market operation that had been operating out of an East Vancouver house. An estimated $130,000 worth of stolen items, including clothing and goods from 20 retail outlets that were being resold to prospective buyers, were recovered by police.