Edmonton man charged in theft of catalytic converters
EDMONTON Police have made a major bust and arrested the primary suspect in a theft ring thought to be responsible for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of catalytic converters in the city.
A 24-year-old man was arrested June 11 and is facing multiple trafficking and money-laundering charges after Edmonton police found 462 catalytic converters inside a rental trailer. The converters are worth approximately $300,000 in recycling value, with an estimated replacement cost of $900,000 to theft victims.
“Our members showed exemplary commitment to maintaining surveillance, arresting and charging this individual,” Staff
Sgt. Steven Chwok said in a news release Thursday. “The investigating members are well aware of the financial burden citizens have experienced replacing these converters on their vehicles.”
Officers learned about a covert operation involving multiple people taking catalytic converters from vehicles in March, which led police to their primary suspect.
The man was seen making multiple transactions in back alleys and parking lots across the city, police say, where catalytic converters or duffel bags believed to have the parts inside were placed into the back of his truck.
Investigators found what they believed to be a “stash pad” in northeast Edmonton, where the converters were stored in a storage locker prior to being sold to recyclers.
On June 11, officers arrested the man on Highway 16 near Spruce Grove after watching him load a trailer at the locker before going onto Yellowhead Trail. Police say they found hundreds of converters inside the locker.
Tekie Awte has been charged with trafficking in stolen property, possession of stolen property for the purpose of trafficking, possession of property obtained by crime (proceeds of crime) and money-laundering.
Police say a total of 756 catalytic converters were stolen in Edmonton between Feb. 10 and June 12 of this year.