TORONTO -- Toronto police are asking for the public’s help finding a man alleged to have stolen a catalytic convertor off a truck from a North York business.
Over the past two years, police have been investigating reports of suspects who have been cutting catalytic convertors off trucks and selling them for quick cash. During the pandemic, auto recyclers says it’s a growing problem.
“We are seeing a lot more activity as the pandemic unfolds,” Steve Fletcher with the Automotive Recyclers of Canada said.
Fletcher says recyclers want to crack down on any illegal activity, but not everyone plays by the rules.
“They (the catalytic convertors) are quick to turn into cash and there are a lot of good scrap buyers, but there are some unscrupulous ones who don't ask enough questions and they are paying in cash so there is no tracking ability."
The catalytic convertor is part of the exhaust system and it helps reduce pollutants. It contains precious metals like platinum and palladium, and thieves can sell a single convertor on the black market for $200 to $300.
For business that have to replace them, it can cost thousands.
Like many small businesses, Carrocel Interiors in North York is closed due to COVID-19. Owner Arlete Cabral says when her husband went to check on their delivery truck, they discovered it's catalytic convertor had been stolen.
“Somebody actually went under the truck with an electric saw and literally removed the muffler from the truck," Cabral said.
There is security video that shows a man climbing under the truck with an electric saw and in just over one minute he emerges with the catalytic convertor and throws it in a waiting car's trunk.
“When you look into the truck of the car there was already a muffler there,” Cabral said.
Theft of catalytic convertors is a growing problem right across the country. More than 400 have been stolen from vehicles in Calgary this year alone. There has also been a rash of thefts in the Niagara Falls area.
“We’ve been told there have been thefts from six charities or non-profits in the Niagara Falls area and it's $4,000 to just repair just one truck. That’s a lot of money for a charity to come up with,” Fletcher said.
Toronto police released surveillance camera images of the suspect and are asking anyone who recognizes him to reach out to investigators or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously.
Cabral says she wants to prevent other businesses from being a target during the pandemic.
“These people don't realize we are all in this together so don't steal from each other, help each other" said Cabral.
It's illegal for a salvage yard to purchase a catalytic convertor from someone if they know was stolen. Stealing them is also dangerous, as a Calgary man died in February 2020 when a catalytic convertor fell on him as he was trying to remove it from beneath a truck.
