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The Abbotsford police department has removed one of its officers from active duty while an investigation is underway into a possible theft at a crime scene.
The department says in a news release that the allegation is linked to a search at an Abbotsford home last November.
Cash, weapons, drugs and drug paraphernalia were seized, and an Abbotsford man faces eight criminal charges in relation to the seizure in a trial that began this week in provincial court.
Sgt. Judy Bird says in the release that surveillance video of the search was shown at the trial and raised concerns that an officer had taken money from the home and hidden it in his sock.
As part of his testimony, Bird says the officer explained he took the cash in an ill-conceived joke but also said he had returned it and no money was stolen.
The RCMP is now investigating the officer's conduct to determine if a criminal offence occurred, while the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner has also been informed so it can begin a public trust investigation under the Police Act.
