Wow.
What an amazing haul of stolen items recovered. How much contraband and stolen items really travels up and down I-35 through Comal County everyday?
Its like a mobile buffet out there. Pretty scary thought eh?
Joint sting recovers $120K in stolen items
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A joint operation carried out by local law enforcement on Interstate 35 yielded multiple stolen trailers, motorcycles, semi-trailers and construction equipment, all valued at about $120,000.
The Comal and Hays counties sheriff’s offices, New Braunfels Police Department and the Department of Public Safety on Interstate 35 carried out the criminal interdiction operation in December, driving along the highway looking for stolen vehicles, said CCSO Spokesman Lt. Mark Reynolds.
Authorities recovered nine cargo trailers, one motorcycle, one flatbed trailer and three semi-trailers.
Among the suspects arrested was a Dallas man, traveling with his wife, who had a stolen motorcycle and flatbed trailer, and was also wanted by the U.S. Marshals for a felony drug offense.
Vehicles stolen came from as far as Arlington and Irving in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and from other states including Oklahoma, said Detective John Bailey, of the Comal County Sheriff’s Office. Bailey is also part of the office’s task force assigned to auto theft, and said he has been investigating auto theft for more than 20 years.
Stolen trailers and semi-trailers often have serial number plates removed by thieves, who then often etch or weld in their own fake numbers, Bailey said. Looking at the trailers, one can see evidence of missing serial number and model numbers, in addition to makeshift paint jobs to disguise vehicles often done with spray paint.
“We can’t look at every vehicle that drives down the highway, especially during the holiday season,” Bailey said. “So we look for popular vehicles that are often stolen.”
Among the recovered vehicles was a stolen Yamaha motorcycle in a stolen trailer that had been spray-painted. Both came from the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
A cursory glance at the paint shows flakes and scratches, some of the telltale signs Bailey said he looks for. In addition, law enforcement will question owners about how long they have owned a trailer or vehicle. Trailers will often contain stolen items inside as well, such as power tools stolen from job sites and residences that are easy to resell, Bailey said.
Owners can do multiple things to safeguard their vehicle, including buying locks for their trailer hitches and recording the serial numbers for all vehicles, tools and trailers, he said.
In addition, Bailey recommends making a mark or stamp of at least the last eight digits of a serial number on vehicles and trailers — one out in the open and at least one that is well hidden.
“Crooks will often scratch off the visible serial number and think that’s the only one,” he said.
