Los Angeles County Sheriff’s officials Thursday touted a pair of investigations into alleged cargo theft rings that in one case led to five arrests, while another led to the recovery of nearly 300 pilfered bicycles.
Both investigations were carried out by the agency’s Cargo Criminal Apprehension Team, or Cargo CATS, according to the department.
In one probe, five people were arrested for allegedly taking part in a cargo theft scheme in which truck drivers were redirected from their routes and their cargo stolen.
Arrested in that case were 38-year-old Samvel Karapetyan, 36-year-old Vazgen Avagyan, 32-year-old Narek Badalyan, 32-year-old Vladimir Gyulankaryan, and 40-year-old Davit Grigoryan.
“A separate but potentially related investigation began on April 21, 2025, when an employee of ARI bikes, located in Utah, contacted the LASD Compton Station to report the theft of 337 bicycles valued at approximately $1.7 million,” sheriff’s officials said in a statement.
In cooperation with ARI Bikes and members of the biking community, investigators were eventually able to identify suspects and locate warehouses suspected of storing stolen merchandise.
Eventually, investigators recovered 288 bicycles and additional stolen merchandise. Several suspects were detained, but their involving in the bicycle theft was still under investigation, sheriff’s officials said.
“The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Majors Crime Bureau is dedicated to combating retail and cargo theft. We are specifically trained to investigate all major theft groups as their criminal activities adversely affect the community,” sheriff’s Capt. Calvin Mah said in a statement.
“When these theft incidents occur, our detectives will work with all community members who are willing to provide information which can lead to an arrest. I am proud of our detectives’ efforts in bringing these suspects into custody. I am also encouraging all community members to notify us when they have information related to retail or cargo theft.”