PORT COQUITLAM — A family in Port Moody, British Columbia, experienced a harrowing 13-hour ordeal during a violent home invasion in April 2024. The incident began when a woman answered a knock at her door and was confronted by two men in Canada Post uniforms claiming to deliver a package. The situation escalated into a brutal attack that involved waterboarding, sexual assault, and threats of death, as the assailants sought to steal over $2 million in cryptocurrency.

The gang, which included a man from Hong Kong, forced the family's 18-year-old daughter to strip and recorded the assault, using her screams to coerce her parents into revealing their bank and cryptocurrency account details. The nightmare ended the following morning when the daughter managed to escape and seek help from a friend. When police arrived around 8:30 a.m., they found the father naked from the waist down with his hands zip-tied, while the mother was discovered bound and gagged.

On November 14, 2024, Tsz Wing Boaz Chan, 35, was sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to charges including break and enter, unlawful confinement, and sexual assault. The court's sentencing details revealed the extent of the family's suffering, which remains confidential due to a publication ban. Chan's accomplices are still at large, and the investigation continues.

Port Moody police spokesperson Const. Sam Zacharias indicated that Chan is likely to be deported after serving his sentence. He noted that the family was specifically targeted for their cryptocurrency holdings, a trend that has been observed in other violent robberies in the region. Nine months prior, police had warned high-value cryptocurrency investors about a series of similar incidents where suspects gained access to homes by posing as delivery personnel.

The court documents describe a meticulously planned attack involving four invaders and a fifth suspect who communicated via phone, altering his voice to issue demands. The attackers restrained the family and spoke in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese, referring to each other by numbers. The father was subjected to waterboarding multiple times, feeling he was on the brink of death, while also having to endure the assault of his wife and daughter nearby.

The attackers threatened to mutilate the father if he did not comply with their demands for access to the family's cryptocurrency accounts. Despite previous fraud experiences, the couple still had significant funds in their accounts, which the assailants drained, totaling approximately $1.6 million.

After the attackers left, the father managed to free himself and found police at the door, having been alerted by his daughter. Investigators discovered a range of evidence at the scene, including a replica gun, knives, clothing, and surveillance equipment that had been set up prior to the invasion. CCTV footage revealed that Chan had been involved in monitoring the family's home in the days leading up to the attack.

Chan had entered Canada on April 5, 2024, and returned to Hong Kong shortly after the crime. He was arrested upon attempting to re-enter Canada on July 25, 2024, with DNA evidence linking him to the crime scene. He admitted to being paid $50,000 for his role in the heist, which the court ordered him to repay to the victims.

In his impact statement, the father described the financial devastation the family faced, struggling to manage three mortgages. The teenage victim also expressed ongoing trauma, stating she is haunted by memories of the attack and now carries a weapon for her protection when she goes out alone. The case highlights the increasing violence associated with cryptocurrency thefts in the region, raising concerns among law enforcement and the community.