Mounties have been busy busting break and enter suspects at Nanaimo Recycling Exchange.

Since Aug. 27, police arrested five people in three separate incidents at the recycling centre on Kenworth Road.

In each case police responded in force when alarms were activated.

“They walk in. We catch them,” said Const. Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesman.

He said suspects were going after scrap metal, computer parts from which they could extract precious metals, and household appliances for copper and other metals they can sell.

Similar break ins are happening at recycling depots across B.C., O’Brien said.

Some of the materials stolen can be used for manufacturing drugs.

“For example, batteries are being stolen,” O’Brien said. “They’re draining the lithium from the batteries and they’re using that to assist in cooking crystal methamphetamine. They’re also taking spray paint and I believe there’s a methanol that can be used to assist in the cooking process.”

He said rising copper prices on world markets will mean a rise in copper thefts.

In the first incident, at 1:30 a.m. Aug. 27, a police dog unit helped catch two suspects – Neil Lewis, 24, and Cody Davis, 27 – who were charged the same day. They are in custody until their appearance at Nanaimo provincial court today (Sept. 8).

Neil Forbes, 30, was arrested at the recylcing exchange Sept. 3 and will remain in custody until a court appearance later this month.

All three are charged with breaking and entering.

Two women, ages 42 and 43, were arrested at the compound Sept. 4. They were released on a promise to appear.

O’Brien said all suspects are from Nanaimo and either climbed over or cut through fencing to gain entry to the site.

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