Torrance Police joined law-enforcement agencies from across Southern California in a coordinated crackdown on a suspected luxury-vehicle theft organization.

The operation involved SWAT teams serving search warrants simultaneously at 11 locations across Los Angeles and Orange counties.

According to information released following the operation, six people were arrested, nine stolen vehicles were recovered and more than a dozen firearms were seized.

The Torrance Police Department participated alongside agencies including Downey, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Beverly Hills, Gardena, South Gate and El Monte police, as well as the Los Angeles and Orange County sheriff’s departments and the California Highway Patrol.

The case highlights the increasingly regional nature of organized auto theft. Vehicles can be stolen in one city, moved through another and resold or dismantled somewhere else entirely, making cooperation among departments particularly important.

For Torrance residents, the significant piece of the story is that the city’s police department was directly involved in the multiagency enforcement effort.

Article Link: Read more about the regional operation