PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- Several people are facing charges after being arrested Saturday in a string of operations targeting vehicle thefts. According to Portland police, the arrested include members of a theft ring targeting Tesla service centers.
Saturday afternoon officers in East Portland made a series of traffic stops that ended in 11 arrests, the seizure of several stolen cars, the recovery of two guns, and the discovery of a "significant amount of suspected methamphetamine."
Officers say that during the operation, two of the divers attempted to flee and were eventually arrested. Those arrests led to the recovery of five more stolen Teslas. PPB believes 10 Teslas were stolen in total.
PPB credited PDX Stolen Cars for help with the operation and says they are seeing a recent decrease in vehicle theft rates, which they call "encouraging."