Catalytic converters prime target for car thieves
Car thieves are no longer getting that excellent stereo system, they now go under the vehicle and take a part of the exhaust system, the catalytic converter.
Catalytic converter theft is widespread in California and growing in Washington County. In June, Forest Grove police received reports of two thefts. Then, in the week after the Fourth of July holiday, a catalytic converter was stolen almost every day in Forest Grove and Cornelius.
Owners of repair shops in Hillsboro say that they’ve been targeted for months and have had to take steps to protect the used converters they’ve removed. According to auto parts dealers, the shady trade in stolen converters is growing, as the trading prices of the precious metals inside the parts continue to soar.
Tracking the criminals is difficult since witnesses are scarce, the parts don’t have serial numbers and the victims usually don’t notice the part is missing until they fire up the engine and hear the roar of an unmuffled engine.
Authorities hope to put a stop to the growing popularity of the trade.
Lt. Michael Rouches, a police spokesman said, “They’re more valuable than I thought and obviously there’s a ready market for it.”
According to those in the parts trade, thieves could get as much as $100 for a stolen converter. The metal mesh is what makes the part so valuable. The mesh is made of three metals: palladium, platinum and rhodium. All three trade for extraordinary amounts of money on the commodities market.
Artur Kowalczyk, who runs Catalytic Converters Recycler in Hillsboro, said that an ounce of rhodium can fetch up to $6,000.
Kowalczyk buys used catalytic converters from repair shops and wrecking yards after they’ve been pulled out for replacement. He said he sends the used parts back East to a refinery that melts the parts down and chemically isolates the valuable metals for recycling.
Since there are no serial number in the catalytic converter and it is hard to tell if a person selling them stole it, proved to be the difficulty on catching the thieves.
Federal law requires that every car manufactured after 1975 has a catalytic converter installed. The part, located near the center of the vehicle in the exhaust train, filters out pollutants before they reach the car’s muffler.
Used converters can be sold, but only after they are tested and guaranteed to comply with federal anti-pollution laws. The tight regulations surrounding the devices means most shops don’t install used converters.
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