Huge rise in thefts of car catalytic converters

THEFTS of catalytic converters increased tenfold across the West Midlands in just three years.

The boom in the crime saw the number of incidents rise from about 80 to 800 as cars are targeted for the scrap value of the exhaust filters.

The units turn harmful emissions from car exhausts into less polluting substances, but contain three precious metals – platinum, rhodium and palladium.

The devices are fitted to all petrol cars sold from 1992 onwards in the UK and diesel cars sold after 2001.

Just 79 converters were recorded as stolen across the

West Midlands in 2017 to 2018, rising to 141 the following year and 823 in 2019 to 2020.

Thefts across England and Wales rose from 2,000 in 2018 to 13,000 in 2019 – more than six times as many cases.

West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson said: “We understand that the cost of the precious metals in the converters, including platinum, are on the rise making this a more profitable business for criminals.

“In the West Midlands, we’ve been taking tough action against the illegal chop shops who rip stolen cars apart and handling stolen car parts is something we’ve been clamping down on. “We have shut down over 100 of them as part of the ‘Shop a Chop Shop’ campaign.

“Motorists should remain vigilant, if possible leave your car in a secure and well lit place, having a good security system in place for your vehicle.

“There are also a range of additional locks and measures available specifically for catalytic converters.

“It is also important that local authorities are able to use their powers under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act to inspect metal dealers and ensuring that they are compliant with the law.”