A CRACKDOWN on catalytic converter theft has seen more than 300 officers from Kent, Essex, Metropolitan and British Transport Police forces intercept a shipping container filled with suspected stolen car parts bound for the Ivory Coast. The raids recovered thousands of pounds worth of stolen vehicles and parts, £50,000 cash, and tools used in cat theft, including a smelting machine.
The vast operation, which targeted properties in East London, Kent and Essex, follows a huge rise in catalytic converter thefts. Thieves target cars for the parts’ second-hand value and high content of precious metals. Some cars have been jacked up in broad daylight as crooks remove converters with angle grinders, leaving drivers with huge repair bills.
Organised gangs make as much as £400 from each stolen cat, and while drivers…
