The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Tuesday announced it has broken up a car theft syndicate that has stolen 1,000 cars in Florida worth $25 million over 20 years.

The ring specializes in car-cloning, wherein stolen vehicles assume the identity of non-stolen legally owned vehicles of similar make and model, Steven Ibison, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Tampa Division, told WTSP.com. Some of the stolen cars were allowed by their owners to be stolen because they could not pay for it or were exchanged for drugs, according to Ibison.

The FBI said its Operation Dual Identity launched in December 2006 resulted in the charging of 50 suspects who fake labels, plates, stickers and titles of stolen cars in Florida, Chicago and Mexico. Arrest warrants for 14 individuals also have been served.

Meanwhile, law enforcers said the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System will be implemented starting April 1 to protect consumers from thieves and car-cloning.