Authorities in New York City say a ring of identity thieves recruited waiters at high-end restaurants to steal credit card numbers that were later used to obtain more than $1 million dollars' worth of cash and goods.

The office of Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. said Friday that 27 people have been arrested in connection with the operation.

In a statement, the district attorney said the alleged members of the ring made counterfeit credit cards with the stolen numbers, paired them with counterfeit driver's licenses, and sent people out on shopping sprees to buy luxury items that could later be resold.

Authorities found watches, expensive wine, and more than $1 million in cash at a storage unit the group allegedly used.

Earlier this week, New York police arrested two men suspected of stealing card numbers and security codes at automated teller machines in downtown Manhattan. A third suspect is still at large.

That operation resulted in the theft of nearly $300,000 from the stolen cards.