Police are searching for three men suspected of breaking into an area of Toronto Western Hospital and stealing $1.2 million worth of medical equipment Feb. 11.
The hospital’s video surveillance footage shows the suspects used suitcases to walk out of the hospital with the equipment around 2:30 p.m. last Saturday and drove away in a silver Honda Odyssey minivan.
Investigators believe the thieves specifically targeted the expensive equipment and planned their crime accordingly, reports theglobeandmail.com.
“They brought a suitcase,” Constable David Hopkinson said. “They came prepared to deal with everything they needed to deal with. The clinic has electromagnetic locks, they’re very difficult to defeat. But they brought tools and were able to force their way in.”
The suspects bypassed the locks to enter a room in the hospital’s fourth floor endoscopic clinic, which is closed to the public on the weekends.
The men stole 15 colonoscopes, 11 gastroscopes, two light source machines and two video processors. All of the instruments are used to inspect the inside of a stomach.
“Obviously there would be a very small market for this and it’s very hard for us to understand,” University Health Network spokesperson Gillian Howard said. “I guess the supposition is it’s for overseas. It would be very distressing to think that it was stolen for use in the country.”
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Hospital officials realized the theft had occurred two days later. Some patient appointments had to be rescheduled and the hospital’s supplier provided loaner equipment to minimize disruption.
Now police are asking for the public’s help identifying the suspects. All three suspect images, along with police descriptions, are included in the slideshow for review.
Anyone with information on the suspects or crime should contact Toronto police at 416-808-1400 or Crime Stoppers for anonymous tips at 416-222-8477.
View the images of the suspects here.
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