A US man has been crushed to loss of life whereas allegedly attempting to steal a catalytic converter from a car at a Georgia automotive yard, police stated.
Matthew Eric Smith, 32, was discovered useless below a automotive on March 7, the Chatham County Police Division stated in a launch.
“Proof on the scene signifies that the person was killed whereas he was illegally eradicating a catalytic converter from the car, and the car fell on high of him,” the discharge learn.
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The converters, which scale back air pollution and poisonous gasoline from a car’s emissions, are comparatively straightforward to steal and include precious valuable metals comparable to palladium, platinum and rhodium.
Catalytic converter theft in America has skyrocketed by greater than 1200 p.c since 2019, in keeping with the US National Insurance Crime Bureau.
Police throughout Australia have also launched a number of catalytic converter theft warnings to motorists in the previous few years, following strings of arrests.
“Thieves are usually concentrating on autos outdoors of enterprise hours utilizing instruments comparable to cordless saws,” Queensland Police said in September final yr.
“Thieves goal these elements as they include metals which might be offered to scrapyards,” Queensland Police stated.
Final yr, US federal, state and native legislation enforcement carried out a “co-ordinated takedown” of a multimillion-dollar community of catalytic converter thieves, sellers and processors that led to 21 arrests in 5 states, the Justice Division stated in a November release.
“A few of these valuable metals are extra precious per ounce than gold and their worth has been growing lately,” the division stated.
The US black market value for catalytic converters might be above $US1000 ($A1520) every, relying on the kind of car and what state it’s from.
In Australia, costs for second-hand catalytic converters sold online begin at $150 and increase to upwards of $1000.
Queensland Police have warned motorists who’re unable to park behind a locked gate or storage, or in properly lit areas with CCTV, to engrave their catalytic converter with their registration or VIN quantity, or paint it a brilliant colour to discourage thieves.
– With CNN, Reuters
