Thieves raid cars for metal worth twice as much as gold

GANGS are stripping cars of catalytic converters with some jacking up vehicles in broad daylight to steal valuable metal, police have warned.

Thieves are cashing in on six-year highs in prices for the rhodium, palladium and platinum in the devices.

The metals, which clean cars’ toxic gases, can be recycled for use in jewellery, dentistry and electronics and command prices of up to £2,000 an ounce – twice the value of gold.

BMW, Audis and VWS are being targeted, according to the police who have urged car owners and businesses to take protective steps to make the catalytic converters harder to steal.

Supt Ricky Kandohla, of the Metropolitan Police, said it was increasingly concerned about the thefts, some of which he believes are linked. Officers are concentrating on areas suffering the biggest increases [in thefts] in an effort to track down suspects.

“We have identified specific owners of vehicles that may be targeted and provided them with crime prevention advice,” he said.

Vehicles such as Shogun 4x4s have also been targeted by the gangs, because they have a high clearance off the road making their catalytic converters accessible. Honda Jazzes and Accords are also favoured because their older devices are particularly easy to reach and rich in the precious metals.

A professional gang can jack up a car and use a battery-powered steel cutter or angle-grinder to steal the catalytic converter within five minutes.

One theft in Tooting, south London, this month was so brazen that the gang stole the converter from a Honda Jazz in daylight in front of neighbours who thought the criminals were mechanics.

Police have advised etching security details into the converters and installing extra bolts or protective sleeves to make them harder to cut out. While thieves might make £300 from a catalytic converter, car owners are left with repair bills of £2,000.