Equipped with battery-powered saws, criminals in Metro Detroit are jacking up vehicles, rolling under, making two cuts and, within minutes, running away with a part scrap yards will buy for as much as $150.
Over the past several months, multiple cities in Metro Detroit have alerted residents about thefts of catalytic converters, which prevent harmful compounds from being released by their auto's exhaust and often contain precious metals such as platinum or palladium.
"You get under there, zip-zip and take it off," said Jeff Prior, manager of J.B. DLCO and Multistate Transmissions in Warren, which had to replace converters for two customers who suffered thefts from the shop's parking lot last fall. "We had to put them on for free. … The darn things cost $300 or $400."
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