More Arrests In Heroin Crime Ring

A major Asian organized crime organization involved in heroin distribution and armed robberies of microchips across the United States was busted Thursday, federal officials said.

A coalition of law enforcement officers arrested at least 17 people in the San Francisco Bay area, Sacramento, Stockton, and Los Angeles, Calif., as well as New York City and Falls Church, Va. Seven additional suspects remained at large, including one man officials called a ringleader.

Thursday’s arrests brought to 40 the total number of people taken into custody during “an unprecedented crime wave involving heroin trafficking and armed high-tech business robberies,” said Michael Yamaguchi, the U.S. attorney in San Francisco.

The arrests follow an 18-month investigation.