More than 80 newly-made firearms were among items stolen from freight trains near Los Angeles in recent months, according to two law enforcement sources familiar with the matter.

The stolen firearms, which included at least 36 pistols and 46 semi-automatic shotguns, were taken from a container car that was broken into last August. The cargo’s destination was Tennessee, the sources said.

Only two have been recovered so far, the sources say.

Earlier this week, Los Angeles police said firearms were among the items stolen in the recent spate of train robberies, but no specific numbers were provided.

“This has given us great concern as a source of further violence in the city,” Los Angeles Police Chief Michael Moore said Tuesday.

The LAPD made six arrests last week, and more than 120 in total, involving individuals suspected of breaking into train cars and taking away a wide variety of valuable goods, a spokesperson said. department this week.

More people are ordering online than ever before. California is the most targeted state where cargo is stolen, and it’s not random – it’s organized. Report by John Cadiz Klemack on January 19, 2022.

“People were capitalizing on transporting these containers with little to no policing or security there,” Moore said.

Gang members are among those suspected of involvement in the robberies, officials said.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms had no immediate comment and referred an NBC News investigation to LAPD and Union Pacific Railroad Police.

Another video showed a thief bringing a crowbar to an employee on the tracks. Report by John Cadiz Klemack on January 18, 2022.

LAPD did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A Union Pacific Railroad spokesperson declined to answer specific questions, citing the ongoing investigation. But the spokesman said the railroad had brought in “dozens of special agents” to help with the investigation.

Since last summer, freight trains passing through the area have been repeatedly hit by thieves who stole items such as big-screen TVs, appliances and clothing. The wave of robberies drew comparisons to the gun-wielding train thugs of the Old West.

NBCLA found out who the boxes were for and showed the robbers armed with bolt cutters targeting the trains to the sheriff. Report by John Cadiz Klemack on November 22, 2021.

But officials say the trains have been easy targets, with very little security, for years and bandits can essentially gain access to freight cars unopposed.

Thieves break into cargo containers along train tracks. Angie Crouch reports for NBC4 News on Monday, November 1, 2021.