Dozens of ice cream trucks have been seized in what the city is calling Operation Meltdown.

The city says 46 trucks have been taken off the street from operators who allegedly violated traffic safety laws routinely.

The city says they owe a total of nearly $4.5 million in fines since 2009.

It claims the truck owners were part of a scheme where they created dozens of "shell" companies to avoid Department of Finances oversight.

Authorities say between 2009 and 2017, the group operated companies that received 22,000 summonses for violations, including running red lights, parking near fire hydrants and blocking pedestrian crosswalks.