It's early-morning on Vancouver's notorious Downtown East Side and police are on the trail of a convicted criminal who's wanted in Ontario. The officers are part of a special squad dedicated to tracking fugitives and bringing them to justice, wherever in Canada that might be.

Their target this morning is Anthony Pinnock. He's wanted for a number of charges, including assault in Sault. Ste. Marie and breach of probation in Thunder Bay. Pinnock's also a sex offender -- convicted for having sex with a 13-year-old girl.

He's one of 2,500 people that police estimate are living in Vancouver, who are wanted on charges in other parts of the country. Fugitives have traditionally exploited the procedural limitations posed by province-wide arrest warrants. But for more than a year, the Vancouver police have been active in arresting and transporting them back to their home jurisdictions. The program's called Con Air, and it's the first of its kind in Canada.

Vancouver Police Chief Jim Chu has been an ardent champion of Con Air.

"There's a whole range of offences which I consider serious and most Canadians would -- such as break and enter, robbery, sexual assault, aggravated assault, - where these warrants are outstanding and the offenders are able to evade the court process, evade justice by simply moving from the jurisdiction in which they were charged," said Chu.

Vancouver police have tracked down Anthony Pinnock to a downtown homeless shelter, which they stake out, waiting for him to emerge. Finally, they spot the man they're looking for. When police move in to arrest him, Pinnock seems unconcerned. Even after being told about his outstanding charges, Pinnock boasts, "I'll be out in 24 hours -- a waste of time."

He's wrong. Even though the Sault Ste Marie warrant for Pinnock's arrest only applies within 400 kilometers of that city, the Vancouver Police can still pick him up and ship him back. That's because they invoke a little-used clause of the Criminal Code which allows police to arrest fugitives wanted in other jurisdictions - if they're shipped back to face outstanding charges within six days.

And so, within days of his arrest, Pinnock was accompanied by Vancouver police officers on a cross-country flight, paid for by Vancouver police. Upon landing, he was transferred into the custody of police in Sault Ste. Marie -- after a month on the run, Pinnock was forced to face his outstanding charges and was found guilty of the assault.

Victim's view

In the past, police forces from across the country have avoided the trouble and expense of transporting individuals wanted in other jurisdictions. As a result, fugitives have flouted both the justice system and the victims that have been affected by their alleged criminal acts.

Rob Pillott is one such victim. Stabbed outside of an Edmonton bar in September, 2007, Pillott had been frustrated by the disappearance of the man police charged in the incident -- Tyson Stevenson.

"No one hears anything on the case. No one hears of him and we're left here with everything that's happened and no word of anything ever going to happen about the situation," Pillott told W-FIVE.

In Edmonton, Stevenson faced a number of charges, including three counts of aggravated assault. Police had issued an Alberta-wide arrest warrant, but he'd left for Vancouver.

It might have once provided a place to hide out but with the Con Air squad on the trail,

Stevenson's days of freedom were limited. The same week they arrested Pinnock, they also caught up to Stevenson. Within days, he too was shipped out of Vancouver, off to Edmonton to face his outstanding charges.

Pinnock and Stevenson are just two of the thirty-four fugitives that the Con Air team has arrested and transported in little more than a year. Success of the program has led other British Columbia police forces to begin shipping back fugitives they catch.

In Edmonton, Rob Pillott is grateful that the man accused of stabbing him a year and a half earlier now has a date with justice. Stevenson's trial is scheduled for June.

"(Otherwise) we could have all just lived the rest of our lives without any kind of resolution," said Pillott.