These 5 fugitives are B.C.’s ‘least-wanted Valentines,’ Crime Stoppers says

Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers framed this year’s Valentine’s Day campaign around “unpacking” the criminals from heart-shaped chocolate boxes — a nod to the Forrest Gump line about never knowing what you’re going to get. (Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers)

Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers has released its annual list of the “least-wanted Valentines,” highlighting five fugitives who remain at large ahead of Valentine’s Day.

The organization framed this year’s campaign around “unpacking” the criminals from heart-shaped chocolate boxes — a nod to the Forrest Gump line about never knowing what you’re going to get.

“Each year right before Valentine’s Day, we remind people that scary, dangerous criminals are on the loose at any given time and reporting any information anonymously to Crime Stoppers can help police make an arrest,” said Linda Annis, executive director of Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers, in a news release Tuesday.

Two of the five fugitives authorities are looking for allegedly ran off after being arrested in a large drug investigation in Vancouver two years ago.

Crime Stoppers said Omid Mashinchi and Amir Navarchi are among six suspects arrested in 2024 as part of “project torque” — a three-year investigation into a Vancouver-based trafficking operation.

Mashinchi also remains on the “Be On The Lookout” (BOLO) list of most wanted criminals in Canada.

Officials say Gurkirat Singh is also on the BOLO list. Singh is wanted by the Delta Police Department on a Canada-wide warrant for a number of sexual assault related offences. Those include invitation to sexual touching, and sexual interference of a person under 16 years old in 2024.

John Norman Mackenzie is wanted for being unlawfully at large for more than seven years.

Crime Stoppers said Mackenzie escaped from Correctional Service of Canada’s Mission Institution in August 2018, where he was serving a life sentence for second-degree murder and armed robbery.

Jean-Sebastien Philippe Eric Ferland is wanted for 14 offences, including possession of a prohibited weapon, break-and-enter, theft, fraud, identity theft, impersonation, possession of a forged credit card, obstruction of a police officer and dealing with ID documents, authorities said.

“Valentine’s Day is about being near those you want to be with, but these most-wanted criminals should be in jail and not near anyone. Someone, somewhere knows where these people are and we’re urging them to do the right thing and call us,” said Annis. “Your anonymity is guaranteed by the Supreme Court of Canada and you’ll never be questioned or called to testify.”

Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers said it received a record 5,490 anonymous tips in 2025, which led to 15 arrests, 32 illegal weapons seized and more than $3 million in property and illicit drugs recovered.

Tips to Crime Stoppers that lead to the arrest and charge of any wanted criminal can result in a reward of up to $5,000, officials said.

Information can be submitted by phone at 1-800-222-8477 or online.