Armoured truck heist suspects arrested in Montreal

Five men have been arrested in connectionwith a string of high-profile armoured car heists dating back to 1999.

The men face more than 60 charges, including:

• armed robbery.
• discharging a firearm.
• kidnapping.
• breaking and entering.
• possession of property obtained by crime.

The thefts all took place in the Montreal area, the most recent one in January on Van Horne Avenue.

Millions of dollars were stolen and, in one robbery, a guard was shot in the leg.

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The head of the Montreal police's major crimes unit, Cmdr. Vincent Rozon, says the gang didn't shy away from using violence to get their way.

"They would usually hide near a bank and wait for the armoured truck to come and assault the guard," he said.

Security firms critical of police

Rozon said the investigation was a joint effort by the Montreal, Ottawa and Peel police services along with the Sret du Qubec.

The investigation into the heists had drawn sharp criticism from one of the security firms that owned the trucks. Last January, Stephan Crtier, president and CEO of GardaWorld, said police didn't seem interested in stopping the robbers.

Today,Crtier publicly commended police for their work.

"I congratulate the Montreal Police, Sret du Qubec and their partners [with] the Ottawa Police, Peel Regional and Longueuil for investing in the necessary resources that led to this morning's arrests," he said in a written statement.

Gang still active at time of arrest

Police believe thegangwas still active at the time of arrests.

"We are sure in the near future they were planning to attack another armoured truck. That's why we stopped them," Rozonsaid.

The accused are linked to seven heists, including:

• Sept. 2, 1999: Galeries des Sources, Montreal.
• Oct. 27, 2011: Sherbrooke Street East, Montreal.
• Dec. 12, 2013: Anglique Road, Saint-Lazare.
• April 30, 2014: Dorval Avenue, Doval (failed attempt).
• Aug. 21, 2014: Taschereau Boulevard, Brossard.
• Oct. 29, 2014: Masson Street, Montreal.
• Jan. 29, 2015:Van Horne Street, Montreal.