An armed robbery of a jewelry store at West Vancouver's Park Royal mall Thursday evening was foiled by Mounties and eight men were arrested.
West Vancouver police officers had responded to a call at 8:45 p.m. about a robbery in progress at the Birks store in the mall.
When they arrived, the Burnaby RCMP's strike force was already there and had eight men in custody.
The Burnaby RCMP was conducting surveillance in the area, according to Cpl. Dave Reid, media spokesperson for the Burnaby RCMP.
Three men were arrested inside the store - one had been seen pointing a gun at a sales clerk - and four more men were arrested in a vehicle outside the mall. Another man was arrested in a second vehicle.
No one was injured in the incident.
The Burnaby Mounties were pursuing an "active investigation" and were in Park Royal when they observed the robbery, Reid said Friday.
"It unfolded in front of them - you can't just let things like that happen," Reid said.
"They stepped in and arrested these guys and, fortunately, got everyone involved."
The gun turned out to be a replica, he said.
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