A 39-year-old Markham man is facing charges after police seized hundreds of gift cards worth up to $133,000 in Kitchener.

Waterloo Regional Police said on Friday, at around 3:30 p.m., officers were patrolling near retail businesses when they were alerted to a theft in progress at a Highland Road West store.

Police said a man was seen concealing gift cards and replacing authentic cards with tampered cards before leaving the store.

Officers stopped the man, seizing more than 550 gift cards from multiple retailers, with an estimated value of $27,500 to $133,000 if activated.

He was charged with theft under $5,000 and fraud over $5,000 and held for a bail hearing.

Police are reminding people that when purchasing gift cards they should inspect the packaging for signs of tampering, ensure

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