By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

Montreal police (SPVM) have arrested 10 suspects allegedly linked to the South American Theft Groups (SATG) in connection with a robbery committed at a jewellery store in a Pointe-Claire shopping mall overnight Wednesday to Thursday.

Police officers caught up to the suspects around 1 a.m. Thursday after they tried to flee the scene of the robbery in three separate vehicles. The suspects arrested are eight men and two women aged 19 to 38. At the time of the simultaneous arrests, the group was in possession of a safe belonging to the stolen business, jewellery and other items worth approximately $3 million. Inside the getaway vehicles police found a wave jammer and burglary tools which were allegedly used to allow the suspects to gain entry into the shopping centre and the targeted jewellery store.

The suspects appeared at the Montreal courthouse to face charges of breaking and entering, theft, conspiracy and possession of burglary tools. All 10 suspects remain detained until the next steps in the judicial proceedings against them.

The investigation and arrests were carried out by the West Project Investigation Section of the SPVM with the support of patrol officers from neighbourhood stations. The various information collected by the investigation team suggests that the suspects are linked to the South American Theft Groups (SATG). Operating in several countries, members of this criminal network travel to carry out organized theft activities. The SATG is actively monitored by different police organizations and border services. n