In an extensive crackdown on organized retail crime, California Highway Patrol's Golden Gate Division has busted a significant fencing operation in Oakland, seizing a cache of over 500 stolen electronic devices and an arsenal of firearms, officials said.

Following a heist at a Target store in Alameda County in February, where a suspect snatched a large quantity of Apple products, the investigation snowballed when detectives from the Alameda County Sheriff's Office acted on a tip, which led to the arrest of the individual, said officials. After trailing leads to an Oakland property believed to be at the center of the resale racket, the CHP’s task force took action last month.

A multi-agency operation conducted on March 26 led to the apprehension of a suspect and the recovery of not just electronics but also ten firearms and ammunition, reported official CHP statements. Adding to the concern, officers unearthed a 3D printer suspected of illicitly manufacturing devices to convert semi-automatic guns to fully automatic firepower capabilities.

According to the California Highway Patrol's Facebook post, the detained individual now faces a multitude of felony retail theft and weapons charges and is currently held at the Alameda County Jail. The suspect's identity has not been released, but investigations persist as the CHP continues its mission to enhance safety, service, and security statewide. 

Lauding the cooperation between agencies, the CHP's statement read, "This operation highlights the importance of partnerships between law enforcement agencies as we work together to combat retail crime across the state. We would like to thank the ACSO detectives for their hard work on this case and their efforts to address retail theft operations here in the Bay Area."