Car catalytic converter thieves under the magnifying glass of the judiciary. A 33 year old from Naples has already been subjected to the measure of house arrest issued by the investigating judge of the court of Santa Maria Capua Vetere, at the request of the Power of attorney. An accomplice was reported on the loose, while a third seems to have his hours numbered. At the conclusion of a detailed investigation conducted by carabinieri of the Company of Santa Maria Capua Vetere, under the command of the captain Alessandro Governaletwo people were identified and reported to the judicial authorities, both accused of aggravated robbery And theft in competition. The military hopes to close the circle with the capture of the third subject, author, together with the already generalized accomplices, of furtive actions against car owners.
The three specialize in the theft of catalytic converters, devices housed inside vehicles vehicle exhaust systems, which allow the reduction of emissions. In the three attributed episodes, in the months of September and October 2023, the criminals highlighted a certain dexterity and familiarity in the use of tools useful for removing catalysts and, in particular, a drill employed in all stealth actions. The same object was also used to threaten a motorist who, having noticed the attempt to remove the device, had tried to oppose it. Unfortunately, fearing for his own safety, the victim could not do anything but comply with the threats of the three subjects. There band used to operate with a car which, placed alongside the one chosen for the theft, then allowed the thieves to operate protected from prying eyes and in conditions of greater safety thanks to the watchful gaze of the man behind the wheel.
The vehicles were chosen with care and in little frequented places, but always on the edge of the public roads. However, at least based on the results of the ongoing investigations, condominium complexes and private homes were spared. Thanks to pressing investigative activity, i carabinieri in a few months they managed to identify two of the three members of the gang, one of whom was subjected to house arrest. Although criminal actions may appear unusual, in reality catalytic converter thefts are very numerous. Also in province of Casertaas in the rest of the regions of Italy, this particular phenomenon is not a rarity compared to the more well-known and widespread criminal episodes.
The cost of anti-pollution devices, depending on the model of the car, can vary from a few tens of euros to the second hand market a several hundred euros and can, therefore, be easily resold or stolen at reduced prices. Precious metals, such as platinum, palladium and rhodium, can then be recovered from the catalysts. According to what was reported by the investigators, however, it does not appear that the three thefts committed in the San Marino territory can be traced back to this last hypothesis, but rather to a more probable one resale in illicit spare parts markets.
For the victims, beyond the economic value of the catalytic converter stealthily stolen from the car, there remains disappointment at the further damage caused by the criminals to the mechanical parts and bodywork. In fact, in the episodes reconstructed by carabinierithe bandits – on three different occasions – used a drill to remove the device from the underside of the vehicle, with consequences that are obviously easy to imagine. The two subjects identified so far, one of which is arrests homeare available to the judicial authorities.
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