130 people arrested in connection with music gear theft ring

Our scene has been dealt its fair share of music gear theft over the past year or so. For small bands, it's the kind of thing that can seriously hurt their careers—without any equipment, they have virtually no means of touring.

Saving Country Music has reported that in Houston, their music scene has been threatened as well by a rash of burglaries. 

On June 28, Houston's police department cracked down in a special operation called “Operation Wheels And Deals,” through which they made 130 arrests that have resulted in over 200 charges. 

Read more: This device could end band van robberies

The police have not determined how much these specific arrests are connected to recently reported thefts. 

“Our CID detectives presented our finding to the DA’s office, and showed that this was not an organized crime ring in the traditional sense, but it was mainly criminals working in groups of 10, that were interchanging groups based on their job skills, and the geographical locations of targeted property,” said Capt. Daryn Edwards of the Houston Police Department.

Here's hoping plenty of bands are able to get their gear back as a result!