OAKLAND, CA — Authorities are thanking a community member for calling in a tip that helped get a suspected gun trafficker and manufacturer off Bay Area streets.
The Oakland Police Department did not identify the suspect, but said they got on officers' radar following a tip from a community member to the agency's drug hotline.
Officers tracked the suspect to the 500 block of 23rd Avenue in Oakland and pulled them over, police said.
A loaded gun and drugs packaged to be distributed on the streets were found inside the suspect's car, police said.
That gave officers enough evidence to obtain a search warrant for the suspect's home, where they found equipment used to make "ghost guns," authorities said. Ghost guns are privately made firearms with no serial number, which means law enforcement can't trace them.
Firearm and ghost gun parts, multiple handguns, assault rifles, ammunition, narcotics and equipment for producing counterfeit credit cards and checks, such as embossers and blank cards, were also found inside the suspect's home, police said.
Police arrested the suspect in connection with the investigation. Investigators have since presented the case against the suspect to the Alameda County District Attorney's Office. It's unclear whether Alameda County prosecutors have filed any charges against the suspect.
"OPD thanks our community for their continued support. We rely on the community to help keep Oakland safe," police said in a statement on Wednesday. "Your willingness to speak up makes a difference and helps us protect our neighborhoods."
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