Police have arrested one of their "most wanted" break-and-enter suspects and seized a large quantity of stolen property.

The Vancouver Police Department, in partnership with the Burnaby RCMP Break and Enter Task Force, arrested the suspect on Feb. 15.

He was in custody at press time and had a court date set for March 5.

Residential break and enters doubled during December and January, and the Burnaby RCMP say it's the act of a few criminals - not many.

"The arrest of a suspect last week who was regarded as one of the most prolific break-and-enter offenders in Burnaby is a major step forward in solving a large number of offences in Burnaby and surrounding areas," Cpl. David Reid stated in a media release.

Police say the suspect was formerly known to police, with 25 convictions related to property crime.

Hundreds of pieces of stolen property were seized after police executed warrants following the Surrey man's arrest.

Police are now asking for the public's help in identifying the mountain of stolen property now in its hands.

Burnaby RCMP displayed a table with coins, necklaces, charms, watches, jewelry boxes and laptops - all stolen items from the break-and-enter victims from across Burnaby and Vancouver.

"We want this property to be returned to its rightful owners," Sgt. Andy LeClair said.

Although the RCMP do not have a figure on the value of all the property the suspect stole, LeClair says it could be in the five figures.

"When you have an active property crime offender on the run, it's not (impossible) to get into the realm of hundreds of thousands," he said.

The police say the robber allegedly preyed on homes and apartment buildings in Burnaby and Vancouver, and possibly other suburbs as well.

editorial@burnabynow.com