more than 300 catalytic converters seized in Dublin

Soldato
Joined
3 Apr 2007
Posts
7,262
Location
South of the Watford Gap!
Just had a cat stolen from a car on my street last night. My son was watering the plants outside at around 9:50 in the evening, a Seat Leon with blacked up Windows drives past, makes a u turn, drives past and parks next to an E46 54 plate 3 series, 2 guys get out, jack it up, cut the cat out and then run to the Leon which was now parked up ahead.

The car alarm did go off and a lady from the opposite house came out and started screaming at them but they just ignored her and literally it was all over within 30 seconds to a minute.

Surprising think is I thought they were after older Toyota, Honda and Lexus or have they done all the cars in the area and are now targeting the next lot of cars where the cats aren’t as valuable?

I did catch their car in my CCTV but can’t make out the plate in the footage but there again it’ll be in fake plates. The car was very distinctive though so am surprised that the police can’t/won’t do anything about it, where have all the old detective skills gone?
 
Man of Honour
Joined
21 Nov 2004
Posts
44,880
Been happening lots around here still. For a while they would set off fireworks somewhere nearby, but I think people worked that one out. Amazing how quickly they steal them. The police did seize some, but they were probably legitimate converters :p

The problem is that there are no police around and their long gone. You’d be an idiot to confront them too much seeing as they have a cutting tool. I mean, our local shop was ram raided, they were probably in another country the time the police arrived, and that’s with our own local police helicopter.
 
Soldato
Joined
22 Nov 2006
Posts
23,304
It's no longer petty crime if it starts to add up to a lot of money with a lot of victims. It's organised crime.

They have got to reliant on technology I think. If it's not on the internet or on CCTV right infront of them, forget about it. They aren't going to invest the time unless the press run with it.
 
Soldato
Joined
21 Jan 2010
Posts
21,949
It's no longer petty crime if it starts to add up to a lot of money with a lot of victims. It's organised crime.
It is a simple crime to solve (stop them from being bought without papers) but the whole scrap metal industry is still borderline criminal. If you are from Birmingham you know exactly which family I am talking about...
 
Soldato
Joined
28 Jun 2013
Posts
3,537
so, how do you protect your car from getting the cat removed?

  • Park your car in a locked garage where possible, but if this isn’t an option, then park it in a well-lit and well-populated area
  • Park close to fences, walls or a kerb with the exhaust being closest to the fence, wall or kerb to make the theft more difficult
  • Avoid parking your vehicle half on the pavement and half on the road, as this may make it easier for thieves to access the catalytic converter
  • If there is a fleet of vehicles, park the low clearance vehicles to block the high clearance vehicles. This will obstruct access underneath
  • If parking in a public car park, consider parking alongside other cars and facing you bonnet towards the wall if possible. With the catalytic converter positioned at the front of your vehicle, this will make it harder for thieves to get close enough to steal it
  • For thefts occurring on driveways, consider the use of a Secured by Design (SBD) approved driveway alarm and sensor. This may assist in alerting you of a potential intruder entering your driveway or garden
  • If your catalytic converter is bolted on, you can ask for your local garage to weld the bolts to make it more difficult to remove.
  • Alternatively, you can mark your catalytic converter. Please ensure any property marking is Secured by Design (SBD) approved
  • You can even purchase a ‘cage clamp’ which is a cage device that locks in around the converter to make it more difficult to remove. Toyota are offering a 'Catloc' for the Prius (3rd generation, 2009-2011 models) and Auris (2nd generation, 2012-2018 models). Please contact your Toyota dealership for more information
  • Speak to your dealership about the possibility of installing a Thatcham approved alarm and tilt sensor that will activate the alarm should any thief try to jack the vehicle up to steal the converter
  • If you see someone acting suspiciously under a vehicle, report it to the Police. Obtain as much information as possible, including any vehicle registrations
 
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