The Dallas County Sheriff's Office says they recovered 17 stolen vehicles Wednesday worth about $700,000 from a warehouse in Seagoville being used as a chop shop.
According to the sheriff's department, detectives from the Dallas Sheriff's North Texas Auto Theft Task Force and the Seagoville Police Department recovered the vehicles from 2501 North Highway 175 at approximately 9 a.m.
Detectives believed the location was being used as a "chop shop" for stolen vehicles in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, officials said.
Officials said a "chop shop" is a location that illicitly disassembles stolen motor vehicles and sells their parts, and they are often linked to car theft rings as part of a broader organized crime enterprise.
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The sheriff's department said the majority of vehicles recovered were Chevrolet and GMC pickup trucks and full-size SUVs reported stolen in Dallas, Lancaster, Coppell, Mesquite, Desoto, Duncanville, and Waxahachie.
Other stolen parts were also found, police said.
Investigators were tipped that a stolen vehicle was at the location the day before. When officers arrived there was no one inside the warehouse and no arrests were made that day.
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The investigation into the chop shop is ongoing and anyone with information is urged to contact the Dallas Sheriff's Office North Texas Auto Theft Task Force at 214-653-3430.
