Feds Work to Crack Down on Catalytic Converter Theft

One of the most popular car parts for thieves is an item that’s easy to get to. Over the past several months, catalytic converter theft has been on the rise.

Most cars can be had with impressive anti-theft devices and systems to keep thieves from stealing the entire car. If only part of the car is being stolen, there aren’t many ways to stop that from happening, especially if that part is along the exhaust line and can be removed within just a few minutes using a battery-operated power saw.

A Massive Takedown by the Justice Department

Theft of this part of the exhaust system in vehicles has become so rampant that there’s a massive criminal ring taking these items from cars around the country. The Justice Department announced a national takedown of a criminal enterprise that was profiting from the theft of these items. The amount of seized assets was incredible. For an item that only receives up to $500 on the black market, the takedown reaches $545 million in cash, luxury cars, and real estate. This incredible number makes this one of the largest federal busts in history.

This major crime ring brought a large number of offenders to justice. The Justice Department carried out an operation that resulted in the arrest of 21 defendants and 32 executed search warrants. This nationwide takedown of the catalytic converter theft network is one of the most incredible in history. It’s only been about a year since we saw the rise of theft of this part of many cars. Because the item is so easy to steal off of most vehicles, it quickly became a major focus of thieves to build this empire that has quickly been taken down by the federal government.

What Caused the Explosion of Theft of These Devices?

Even though we only think of the catalytic converter as part of the dirtiest part of our cars, it contains some extremely valuable metals. The value of these metals surged to the point that theft of these devices became rampant. The metals inside the catalytic converters are platinum, palladium, and rhodium. The market price of these three metals has increased astronomically since the pandemic began. The number of thefts increased by nearly 12 times between 2019 and 2021, which put this dirty, but valuable part of a car on the radar of the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

Theft Got So Bad that Lives Have Been Lost

Thieves targeting these car parts had gotten so desperate that a deputy sheriff in Houston was shot and killed when he tried to stop thieves from stealing his converter. Agents from the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation Division, and Homeland Security performed operations in various states across the country, accusing the defendants in the busted crime ring. These agencies accused these defendants of conspiracy to traffic in stolen property, alleging they bought stolen converters, stripped them of the valuable materials, and sold them to metal refineries.

If There Were a Ring Leader…

Agents raided the home of one of the accused in this case, Navin Khanna. Either he is the leader of this theft ring, or he really has a thing for catalytic converters. He might be the top dog in this catalytic converter theft ring, but he got a little too bold for his own good. A necklace with a pendant that looks like a catalytic converter was posted on his Instagram account. Khanna is said to operate DG Auto, which could be a front for the crime ring. He’s being accused of purchasing stolen converters and reselling them.

How Fast Can a Thief Steal a Catalytic Converter

Because this device is part of your exhaust system, it’s exposure to the elements and pretty easy to reach. With the right tool, which is a battery-operated reciprocating saw, a thief can get under a car and leave with this device in less than five minutes. Even if you have an anti-theft alarm on your car ,this item could be stolen. Think about this, when was the last time you responded or showed any interest in a car alarm when it sounded off? The fact that most of us only get annoyed and don’t respond to these alarms only helps thieves.

Are There Any Steps You Can Take to Avoid Your Converter Being Stolen?

Yes, and as the numbers have increased, more government organizations have begun to help people avoid becoming victimized by catalytic converter theft. Most of these organizations will etch the VIN or license plate number on your converter for free. It’s also a good idea to paint it with some fluorescent paint to make it stand out if a thief takes it off of your car.

Here are a few other steps you can take to avoid becoming a victim as well:

• Park indoors when possible, preferably in your own garage
• Choose parking areas with cameras present
• Parkin a well-lit busy area near the entrance
• Install a dashboard camera on your vehicle
• Install an anti-theft device for this item specifically

These steps might not stop thieves from making off with your converter, but they can help authorities track down the thieves. Of course, with lights and cameras, most thieves will avoid your car and look for easier targets in dark areas of the parking lot that aren’t covered by cameras.

Hopefully, This Crime Ring is the Largest

The defendants and dollar amount for this busted criminal ring are hopefully the largest for this particular theft. It’s amazing that such a simple part of your car could make criminals so much money, but it has. Imagine the large number of catalytic converters that had to be stolen to reach $545 million in value.

Catalytic converter theft has victimized many Americans around the country and caused serious problems, with many of these items becoming part of thousands of insurance claims for these items to be replaced. Maybe we’ll hear about another crime ring busted by the Justice Department, but hopefully, they have gotten the biggest fish in this part of the black market.