A number of Hilversummers had to deal with a nasty surprise this weekend. They found their car on a pile of bricks, with catalytic converter stolen from underneath. The police received 7 to 8 reports from Hilversum about stolen catalytic converters this weekend. The spokesperson says that it is probably a gang of criminals.
Multiple catalytic converters stolen this weekend, ‘probably criminal gang’ – NH Nieuws
According to the police, the locations of the theft are not concentrated around one place in the media city, but are scattered. For example, catalytic converters were stolen on Oud Loosdrechtseweg, Oosterengweg, Lorentzweg, Korenbloemstraat and Bosboom Toussaintlaan.
“We know from experience that this is probably a gang of criminals who enter a village or city, go shopping and then leave,” the police spokesman said.
One of the victims is Venetta Boneva. In the vicinity of the Oude Loosdrechtseweg she found her car on a pile of stones and without a catalytic converter. After a message in the neighborhood app, she was not the only one with the problem. “Apparently there is a catalyst gang here in Hilversum,” she says.
Expensive joke
Whoever became a victim is Janine van Ritbergen. In the night from Friday to Saturday, the catalytic converter was stolen from under her car, which was parked in Constantiastraat. “I was at my door around eight thirty in the morning with my three children to go to the bakery.”
Then she noticed something strange about her car. “There was a brick by my rear wheel. And the right front of the car had been lifted up by a pile of bricks. At first I didn’t even think it was our car.”
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“This can become an expensive joke,” she explains. “I don’t know yet whether the insurance will cover this.” She has also filed a report and asks around in the neighborhood app Nextdoor whether people have seen anything. This was not the case via the video doorbell of the neighbours. Janine’s car is still in the garage.
“They steal catalysts because of the precious metals they contain,” says garage employee Erik van Beken. “With many cars it is a no-brainer and you are a few hundred euros richer as a thief.” According to Erik, there is something that can be done about it. “There are plates available that allow them to cover the whole thing so you really can’t reach it, they are the most effective.”