ID theft factory found in Canada

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SURREY, British Columbia, Feb. 29 (UPI) -- Canadian police and postal authorities shut down an identity theft ring in British Columbia that had data on tens of thousands of people, CTV News reported.

The raid was staged Thursday in Surrey by 14 officers and postal inspectors in a building where two arrests were made, police said.

The majority of personal information, credit cards, passports, drivers licenses and Medicare cards belonged to people in 24 cities in Alberta and British Columbia, the report said. Also found were government-issued checks, money orders and tax returns.

Canada Post inspectors said several of the corporation's uniforms and keys used to unlock mailboxes were recovered.

Police said they suspect stolen mail and various forms of identification were altered, modified, or created and then sold, CTV said.

Police said Tany Aschert, 27, and Timothy Mosian, 34, were charged fraud, impersonating others, possession of counterfeit, unauthorized use of credit card data, possession of stolen property, making instruments for forgery, and possessing break-in instruments.