Alleged thief arrested with $100,000 in catalytic converters

Catalytic converter thieves targeting car dealers A Bowmanville, Ont. man says he wasn't told his new truck had an aftermarket catalytic converter installed after the original was stolen.

A 24-year-old from Brantford has been arrested after catalytic converters were removed from multiple vehicles parked at a business in the city.

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) say the theft on Airport Road was reported on Wednesday.

OPP say several detachments collaborated on the investigation. Mississauga OPP arrested the accused and recovered the stolen converters at a traffic stop.

Police say the value of the stolen property was around $100,000.

The 24-year-old is charged with break-and-enter and possession of property obtained by crime.

Part of a vehicle’s exhaust system, catalytic converters contain precious metals such as rhodium, platinum and palladium. They can be sold for as much as $300 per convertor to salvage yards.

Thefts of the vehicle component are on the rise. According to the Allstate Insurance Company of Canada, theft of catalytic converters rose 60 per cent over the past year and a whopping 1,700 per cent between 2018 and 2022.