Many catalysts stolen in the region: police arrest suspects, garage owner is working overtime

Catalytic converters are a sought-after loot because of the precious metals platinum, palladium and rhodium they contain. The solid car part filters harmful substances from exhaust gases.

“Half an hour ago I had someone in the garage whose catalytic converter had been stolen,” says the Spaarndam garage owner Wempe to NH News. “The fifth this week, it never happens that often.”

Amstelveen

Another recent example dates from the night from Thursday to Friday, when alert residents of the Van Heuven Goedhartlaan in Amstelveen heard strange noises in the parking lot. When they take a closer look, they see men messing around with a car.

They call the police, who send agents from Amstelveen, Amsterdam and Aalsmeer. With result, because not much later two men are arrested and tools and a catalyst are found nearby.

Third suspect

The police praise the alertness of the reporter, although the case is not yet complete. A third suspect is still at large, but the police assume that they can also arrest this person in the short term, the police write on Instagram.

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Spaarndammer Niels van der Peet was also robbed of his catalyst earlier this week. “And when I was at the Wempe garage opposite for a new one, another man walked in whose catalytic converter had also been removed from under it.”

The thieves have worked very carefully. “They cut very precisely,” he says in conversation with NH News. “Probably with a pipe cutter.” The thieves duped him for 300 euros, but he does not report it, mainly because he thinks that it will not make any difference.

From necessity to virtue

“I take my loss,” he says in conversation with NH News . And to make a virtue of necessity, he was able to explain to his son what a catalyst is for, he writes on his Facebook page.

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Garage owner Wempe confirms that the number of duped customers this week is exceptionally large. He suspects that it is the work of a traveling gang that has set its sights on Spaarndam this week.

“They strip everything. What is striking is that they choose cars that stand high on their legs, so that they can easily lie under them and do not need a jack.”

‘Professionals’

The garage owner also says that the thieves work very accurately. “They are professionals,” he says cynically. What duped motorists pay for a new catalytic converter differs per make and type of car.

“You have lost 1,500 euros for a new catalytic converter for some Mitsubishis, but that of (car dealer, ed) Niels (van de Peet, ed) only cost 300 euros because he drives a diesel.”