Polish Nationals visiting Canada charged with distraction thefts against Hamilton seniors

Three men on temporary visits to Canada from Poland have been charged in a series of distraction purse thefts at Hamilton retail outlets Tuesday.

Hamilton Police began their investigation the following day after reports of three distraction thefts – two against seniors – that occurred at three different stores on February 6.

The investigation revealed that the three suspects worked in a coordinated effort to distract the victims, ultimately stealing their purses. In two of the occurrences, the suspects targeted victims who were over the age of 70.

Video evidence played a pivotal role, police said, capturing the suspects engaging in the thefts and identifying the vehicle used in their activities.

Peel Police found the the suspect vehicle in Mississauga and assisted in executing search warrants on two motel rooms in Peel Region and the suspect vehicle.

Krystian Dolinski, 42, Piotr Molda, 50, and 28-year-old Patryk Nosek have each been charged with three counts of theft under $5,000 and one count of Fraud Under $5,000. All three suspects are residents of Polish Nationals who are on temporary visits to Canada.

The accused are also suspected of carrying out similar thefts elsewhere in Ontario and Hamilton Police say the men are being investigated them for thefts in other jurisdictions.

The men have been detained in custody and the investigation remains ongoing.

If you have any information that you believe could assist police with these investigations please contact Detective Ben Adams of the Hamilton Police Crimes Against Seniors Unit at (905) 540-5300.

To provide information anonymously call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or submit your anonymous tips online at http://www.crimestoppershamilton.com

If you or someone you know has been a victim of a distraction theft and have not yet reported the incident, please do so by calling your local police service.