Police recovered thousands of stolen Lego sets and arrested the alleged thieves, who were reportedly trying to sell the toys in California.

Authorities have cracked down on the collectibles alleged theft ring where 2,800 sets were seized in Long Beach.

Footage shows the officers from the Los Angeles Police Department retrieving boxes of plastic building block sets from the property.

They arrested Richard Siegel, 71, and Blanca Gudino, 39, who allegedly organised the retail thefts for months before being caught.

Officers said the investigation started in December following reports of theft from a local store and caught Blanca passing some of the items to Richard at his home in the south.

They allegedly lured potential buyers through advertisements on the internet.

Among the stolen items were coveted sets from popular franchises such as Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and Back to the Future, with some sets valued at nearly 850 USD (667.29 GBP) online.

Richard faces charges of organized retail theft, while Blanca is charged with grand theft. The arrests mark another significant crackdown on Lego thefts in California, following a similar incident in April where suspects were found in possession of approximately 300,000 USD (235,515 GBP) worth of stolen Lego merchandise.

Earlier this year, a Lego retailer in southern California was the victim of a theft involving over 100,000 USD (78,505 GBP) worth of merchandise.