Three Burnaby men face multiple charges after allegedly trailing patrons from Richmond's River Rock Casino to their Vancouver home to rob them using replica guns.
All three face a long list of charges that include robbery with a firearm and firearms-related offences.
Even though the firearms were replicas, the charges still stand, according to Vancouver police spokesman Lindsey Houghton.
"Those using it [the replica] have to be using it as a weapon," said Houghton, who also explained the victims have to "believe it to be a real firearm."
Two Vancouver residents were robbed by two men at about 1:30 a.m. on Nov. 2 after returning home from River Rock.
There was forensic evidence at the scene, said Insp. Les Yeo.
He would not reveal the evidence because it is part of the ongoing investigation.
Surveillance began Nov. 3 at the River Rock and it became clear the suspects had targeted another victim.
Yeo said the police decided to apprehend the suspects the same day using the emergency response team -- before another robbery could take place.
While Yeo said such crimes are "rare," police are investigating possible links to similar crimes at other casinos.
Meanwhile, an executive with the Great Canadian Gaming Corp., which runs the casino, maintained that the casino is safe.
"We're probably one of the safest places you could go to, and the bad guys know that, that's why they stay away," said Great Canadian vice-president Howard Blank.
"The bad guys knew not to come anywhere near our property," said Blank of the Richmond facility. "They understand, with the surveillance techniques we have in place, they're going to be caught."
Blank also pointed out that his company's casinos are willing to issue cheques for winnings "whether you win $100 or $100,000" to gamblers nervous about carrying cash.
The three suspects are Daniel Sheng Long Hoong, 20, his brother William Wei Lun Hoong, 18, and Yan Wang, 30.
Wang is known to police. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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