The California Highway Patrol seized around $300,000 in stolen LEGO items as part of an organized retail theft operation.
Officials arrested four people who were reportedly planning the scam to sell stolen products to “fencing locations” or merchants.
Officials define fencing places as individuals or groups of individuals that purchase stolen products and resell them in legitimate companies, swap meets, or online. Fences may or may not be aware that the stuff they are buying was stolen.
According to the victim retailers, the cost is still being calculated, but the overall damages are estimated at $300,000.
CHP investigators from the Southern Division Organized Retail Crime Taskforce made the arrests while serving search warrants in four locations in Los Angeles and Orange County.
LEGO sets like the Millennium Falcon from the Star Wars franchise may cost up to $900. CHP photos revealed dozens of these and other unique sets on display at retail stores.
Investigators from the California Highway Patrol detained Jeremy Johnson of Orange, Marta Hardt of Huntington Beach, Chung-Pei Yu of Studio City, and Shen Li of Brea.
The four were detained on allegations of organized retail theft, grand theft, and conspiracy to conduct a crime.
