Vancouver transit police make arrests in elaborate distraction thefts

The Metro Vancouver Transit Police have arrested two suspects in connection with an elaborate distraction scheme that has led to thefts in excess of $5,000. Transit police made the arrests after a nearly month-long investigation into a total of 10 incidents.

Ricardo Oprea and Alina Raducanu, both 31 years old, have been arrested and are wanted on Canada-wide immigration warrants. Raducanu will appear in court on Oct. 11. Oprea remains in custody awaiting an Aug. 28 immigration hearing.

The third suspect was spotted on video boarding a train at Yaletown Station while the officers were dealing with Oprea and Raducanu. Auras Yanis Raducanu is also wanted on an outstanding Canada-wide immigration warrant. He is believed to be Alina Raducanu’s husband.

The incidents are all very similar. In each of the 10 cases, one or more people from the group of suspects allegedly offered their assistance to the victim at a ticket vending machine, passing themselves off as Good Samaritans.

“Their actual motivation is getting close enough to watch the victim enter their personal identification number (PIN), associated to their credit or debit card, while purchasing their transit fare-media,” reads the statement from Metro Vancouver Transit Police.

“Once the victim has entered their PIN and successfully bought a valid fare, other members of the suspect group follow the victim and then distract him or her in a well-choreographed routine. This may be a bump or nudge or engaging the victim in conversation. The suspect then steals the victim’s wallet or purse.”

Transit police allege that once the thieves have the victim’s debit or credit card, they use it to withdraw large sums of money and make substantial purchases.

Anyone with any information on the whereabouts of the outstanding suspect, or who believes they may have been the victim of a similar incident is asked to call the Metro Vancouver Transit Police tip line at 604-516-7419 and refer to file #18-13497.