Alert retail staff conducting regular checks on a pin pad device helped West Vancouver Police put three suspects in custody facing charges.

Staff at a clothing store in the 700 block of Marine Drive conducted a regular visual inspection of the store pin pad device as they opened for business Sunday April 18, 2010.

Staff discovered one of two pin pads at the store had been stolen and replaced by another device. West Vancouver Police were contacted.

Minutes later, a male and female entering the store were recognized by staff as persons who had been in the store late the previous day.

Police responded to the area to check the couple. After further investigation, three suspects were arrested in a car outside the store.

Two pin pad devices were recovered. One device was confirmed to be the pin pad removed from the clothing store. The second device was confirmed to be from a North Vancouver restaurant. Companies operating the pin pad devices have been notified to determine whether any unauthorized transactions resulted from the pin pad removals.

Crown Counsel has approved one charge each of Fraudulent Concealment S.341 CCC against 19 year old Lisa LLIROD TELLO of Laval, Quebec, 36 year old Abderrahma EL MOUTARAJJI EL ALAOUI of Laval, Quebec, and 36 year old Gerlando BRUNO of Burnaby.

The accused were remanded in custody after a first court appearance in North Vancouver Monday.

They are to appear in court next on April 22nd, 2010 for a bail hearing.

The investigation is ongoing and additional charges are possible.