Police are still looking for two suspects wanted in a large-scale plastic crate theft ring in Miami-Dade, officials said Friday.
Nely Barrios, 54, and Oscar D. Federico, 27, remain at-large on charges of racketeering, conspire to racketeering and dealing in stolen property, Miami-Dade Police officials said.
Police on Thursday arrested 20 other suspects in the ring, which is responsible for the theft of $1.5 million in plastic crates from retail stores, police said.
The arrests were made as part of an eight month-long investigation dubbed Operation Crate. Police said the crate thieves can get up to $1 a crate and once ground up, the pulverized bits are sold for even more.
During raids Thursday, some 2,900 milk crates were found at one facility and there were bags loaded with an estimated $30,000 worth of plastics that had been shredded and were ready for delivery, police said.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Barrios or Federico is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.
