Two people have been arrested over allegations that they participated in a major mail theft operation targeting six Bay Area cities. As part of their investigation, authorities say they've recovered over 80 pounds of mail suspected as stolen.

As ABC 7 reports, two suspects were arrested following an investigation by the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety triggered by alarming trends in local mailbox thefts. Both suspects were reportedly actively on parole at the time of their arrests.

While searching the residence of one suspect, USPS investigators say they recovered "more than 80 pounds of mail, burglary tools and suspected methamphetamine" along with various checks, credit cards, and other forms of personal information.

A search of the other suspect's home, according to authorities, yielded additional burglary tools, a small assortment of stolen mail, and a collection of U.S. Postal Service mailbox locks.

United States Postal Inspector Matthew Norfleet told ABC 7 that, in most cases, stolen mail is used as a bartering chip.

"It gets traded in for something — drugs or cash or something — by the people who steal it," Norfleet said.

In this case, the mail in question was intended for recipients across a wide swath of the Bay Area. Affected areas include Sunnyvale, San Jose, Mountain View, Menlo Park, Sausalito, and Oakland.

Postal Inspector Norfleet noted that cluster mailboxes at apartment complexes make for popular targets.

In a related matter, ABC 7 notes that there's also been an increase in the number of assaults being reported by mail carriers.

It's led the National Association of Letter Carriers to back new legislation: the Protect Our Letter Carriers Act, which is designed to increase protections for postal workers via heightened penalties and improvements to key systems.

Related: Tens of Thousands of June Mail-In Ballots Tossed, Many Due to USPS’s New Postmark Policy

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