By Karin Hendrich
A gang of catalytic converter thieves were up to mischief in Berlin last year. After his two accomplices, the third member has now been convicted.
On September 2, just before midnight, the police caught her red-handed in a parking lot on Zingster Strasse in Berlin-Hohenschönhausen. An eyewitness saw four men handling a Mitsubishi with a jack and hydraulic shears…
And then drove away in two cars. But they didn’t get far. Officers arrested three of them just minutes later on Dietzgenstrasse.
Investigations revealed that the gang had caught them before on February 24, 2021. At that time in a Lidl parking lot on Grabbeallee in Berlin-Pankow with nine freshly cut catalytic converters (mainly from Audis) in the “luggage”.
After two of the perpetrators had already been sentenced to 18 months probation and 14 months in prison in April 2022, a third was before the regional court on Monday for collective, commercial gang theft: Mirsad H. (31), drywall builder from Serbia. He was absent from the trial at the time because he was serving 11 months in prison in Plötzensee prison and had not received the summons to the trial.
He admitted his involvement in the crime without any ifs or buts. He just doesn’t see that with the gang. The initiator and source of ideas was a compatriot who has died in the meantime. “I didn’t know anything about something like that.” Why did he still take part? Mirsad H.: “It was a good opportunity to get some money.”
people in court
In the Corona crisis, his stocks shrank badly. The sale of each catalytic converter would have brought in two hundred euros. Which were then shared fairly. He now knows: “It was a stupid idea that I very much regret.” And promised: “I never want to commit crimes again.”
Catalytic converters are a highly coveted stolen item. Because they contain palladium, platinum, rhodium – some precious metals are more valuable than gold.
Older cars with petrol engines are particularly affected. Where the catalytic converter is easily accessible. The theft usually only takes a few minutes. The police therefore advise parking vehicles on illuminated roadsides, in fenced-off areas or in garages if possible.
