Los Angeles - Xinhua
A multi-agency task force has arrested 17 members from five rival gangs in massive raids conducted in Southern California on Wednesday morning, authorities said. The gang members, many of them Cambodian, were found to have involved in several home invasion burglaries and other related thefts. They were taken into custody by officers at 47 locations in the Long Beach area and Orange County. Six handguns and narcotics including methamphetamine, Ecstasy and marijuana were seized by authorities. The apprehension was the result of a four month-long investigation which was launched by authorities aiming at the Asian crime gangs. Valuable items such as top-brand watches and forged checks were also found.