Cat theft soars as thieves cash in on precious metals
CATALYTIC converter theft has risen more than sixfold in a year, as the emission-busting parts they contain are coveted for their precious metals.
There were just 2,000 incidents of catalytic converter theft in 2018, a figure that skyrocketed to 13,000 last year, police data obtained by BBC Radio 5 Live has revealed, largely because of the metals’ rising prices on commodity markets.
Crooks have become so brazen in their antics that a number of videos have emerged on social media showing cars being jacked up and catalytic converters being cut off with angle grinders in broad daylight. NHS workers’ cars have also been targeted as staff leave them unattended for long periods during their shifts.
Catalytic converters contain metals including rhodium, platinum and palladium, with hybrid cars particularly at risk because of the higher volumes of such metals found in their cats.
The Scrap Metal Dealers Act of 2013 was supposed to make life harder for thieves by outlawing cash payments and tightening identity checks at scrapyards. But the BBC had previously discovered hundreds of local councils haven’t inspected yards to ensure the rules were being followed.
Foiling catalytic converter theft is difficult, but Toyota offers a £200-£250 ‘Catloc’, which adds a marine-grade steel shield to the cat, together with tamper-proof screws and serial-number etching on the converter.
Got a Toyota? Contact a dealer to see if your model can be fitted with a Catloc.
“The Scrap Metal Dealers Act of 2013 was designed to make life harder for thieves”