Melbourne theives targeting catalytic converters

Opportunistic theives are stalking quiet suburban streets and shopping centre carparks to steal this item from your car.

SAN RAFAEL, CALIFORNIA - JULY 11: A brand new catalytic converter sits on a car lift at Johnny Franklin's Muffler on July 11, 2022 in San Rafael, California. Thefts of catalytic converters are surging across the nation as thieves seek out precious metals like platinum, palladium and rhodium that fill the inside of the antipollution car part. Thefts have nearly tripled since the beginning of the pandemic with over 50,000 in 2021 compared to under 20,000 in 2020. Vehicle owners are having to pay thousands of dollars to replace the stolen parts and in some cases can't get the parts due to supply chain issues. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

A new breed of cat burglar is stalking Melbourne streets, cutting the catalytic converters from vehicles to retrieve rare-earth minerals from the ­exhaust components.

The converters are sent overseas to recover the minerals, some of which are worth more than gold.

They include rhodium ($15,400 an ounce), palladium ($2344) and platinum ($906).

Criminals are using cordless angle grinders to steal catalytic converters from cars, targeting shopping centre and railway station car parks and causing about $1500 in damage and replacement costs per vehicle.

“It comes in waves and is ­indicative of what those (rare earth) metals are valued at, at the time; it’s like the stockmarket,” Duane Simiana of Sunshine HiTech Exhausts said.

“At the moment, it’s fairly strong, and probably in the past two months I’ve been asked to quote on about 30 catalytic converter jobs.”

HiAce vans and Toyota HiLux models, due to the ease of underbody access, are ­common targets.

Toyota HiLux models are ­common targets.

The Mr Muffler repair shop in Dandenong said it had ­replaced 30 converters stolen since July, and every exhaust shop contacted by the Herald Sun said it was replacing stolen units weekly.

“I think organised gangs keep doing this; we normally were doing one or two a month and in the past few months we have done maybe 30,” exhaust mechanic Kushan said. The Toyota Camry was also a common target, he said.

Kushan said he was told the stolen parts, which sold on the black market for $250 to $400, were shipped to Dubai and other Middle Eastern and Asian countries for the minerals to be ­extracted.

It’s a similar story at Dandy Exhausts, where an employee said thefts were a weekly ­occurrence, and older Commodores were also targets.

Four vehicles were hit in one raid at a local school.

Bigger trucks with diesel particulate filters that can cost $2500-$15,000 to replace were now also targets.

Mr Simiana said he knew of one local business where filters were stolen from 12 trucks, at a cost of about $10,000 each.

“Quiet suburban streets and shopping centre carparks are popular sites for catalytic converter theft,” Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce’s David Dowsey said.

“Unlicensed and unregistered scrap metal dealers may provide up to $500 cash for stolen catalytic converters.”

US police broke up one syndicate responsible for 44,000 converter thefts in 2021 and seized $22m worth of units.