On Wednesday, police destroyed an organized theft ring in a northwest Miami-Dade neighborhood, discovering about $1 million in suspected stolen items, as well as drugs, guns, and money.
Police took box after box and even carts full of belongings from a property at Northwest 24th Avenue and Northwest 15th Street. “This guy right here is a real-life Grinch,” stated Chief Manny Morales.
There was so much stuff taken from the house that it filled a truck to the brim, and that wasn’t even all of it.
According to investigators, the modest duplex in the residential area operated more like a neighborhood store, except it sold drugs and thousands of things stolen from retailers.
“We’re talking anywhere from hundreds of drills, impact windows, large quantities of liquor and alcohol, even frozen foods,” Morales went on to say. “It looks like a store — he has shelves, and the rooms are divided.” He has a room for power tools, a room for alcohol, and a room for over-the-counter drugs.”
An investigation into narcotics brought investigators to the home on Wednesday afternoon. Morales referred to it as an organized theft ring.
“They would bring all the stolen retail property here and they would exchange it for narcotics,” he went on to say.
One neighbor reported seeing police handcuffing two persons at 1 p.m. One individual was apprehended, according to officials.
According to Morales, in addition to the stolen goods and drugs, authorities discovered firearms and substantial sums of money.
According to Morales, crimes like these affect everyone. “This is an organized retail theft ring that impacted all of us by driving up prices,” he went on to say.
The identity of the arrested person was not made public on Wednesday. The suspect will be charged with everything from armed narcotics trafficking to retail theft.
The Miami Police Department is also collaborating with retailers like as Home Depot, TJ Maxx, and CVS Pharmacy to assist in the recovery of merchandise using bar codes.