Opportunistic thieves and organised gangs are targeting catalytic converters from cars, 4x4s and in particular, LCVs.

Fleets and leasing companies are reporting increasing levels of thefts of catalytic converters. One company says the number of thefts have risen from very small numbers to as much as 50 pieces already this year.

 'Cats' are mainly being stolen for their precious metal value; if properly recycled they can be worth between €80 and €120. Catalytic converters contain varying amounts of platinum group metals, such as palladium and rhodium, to increase the burn and they split NO2 into its component molecules of nitrogen and oxygen. With a new catalytic converter costing up to €1,000 to retrofit, owners, even if covered by insurance, are finding the excess on most policies makes it a heavy loss.

A wholesaler describes these thieves as ‘unsophisticated’.  “Any vehicle with ground clearance can have the catalytic converter ripped off within seconds,” he said. “They typically use plumber's pipe cutters or a cordless saw to slice through the exhaust and supports.”