Toronto, Dec 26 (IANS): Three Indo-Canadians have been taken into custody after police seized fake licence plates made out of cardboard affixed to a vehicle being used by the suspects, and a small quantity of drugs.

Lovepreet Singh (33), Prabhpreet Singh (28), and Rajwinder Mangat (37), from Ontario province are facing a total of eight charges, including obstructing a peace officer, CP24 news channel reported.

Police said they responded to the Monarch Drive business at around 2:25 pm last week after receiving reports that a group of suspects in a number of recent thefts were seen filling a shopping cart with electronic devices.

According to the Ontario Provincial Police, once officers arrived at the business, the suspects opted to leave the premises without the goods.

But they subsequently spoke to the suspects and commenced an investigation, the news channel reported.

During the investigation, officers discovered that the licence plate displayed on their vehicle was made out of cardboard “highlighting the arts and craft skills utilised to try and avoid detection”, the police said.

Police say that while the plate numbers adorning the cardboard were not linked to the vehicle at the scene, they were a match for a vehicle with the same make, model and colour.

Police ultimately took all three suspects into custody, seizing the fake plates and a small quantity of cocaine and methamphetamine.