Two More Catalytic Converter Thefts Reported In Manalapan

MANALAPAN, NJ — Two people reported thefts of catalytic converters last week, one from a car parked in a parking lot and one from a car parked at a residence, police said.

On Thursday, Oct. 27, a 41-year-old Manalapan resident reported that someone removed a catalytic converter, valued at $1,500, from a vehicle parked at a Stratford Drive residence.

On Friday, Oct. 28, a 45-year-old Neptune resident came to Manalapan Township Police Headquarters to say someone removed a catalytic converter, valued at approximately $1,200, from a vehicle parked in a parking lot on Wilson Avenue.

Both incidents are being investigated by police and follow reports earlier in October of another catalytic converter theft.

A catalytic converter was taken from a resident's car parked in his own driveway on Bunker Hill Drive, police reported last week.

At about 8:30 a.m. on Oct. 21, the resident reported to police that someone removed the catalytic convertor from the car during the previous night.

Police said the catalytic converter was valued at approximately $1,000.

And then there was the nationwide takedown of leaders and associates operating a stolen catalytic converter ring on Wednesday, Nov. 2 Those multiple arrests in various states had a Holmdel connection when a house there was raided and six New Jersey residents connected to DG Auto were charged in connection to the operation, according to federal officials last week.

According to a report by the National Insurance Crime Bureau, the increase in catalytic converter thefts nationally has been dramatic. In 2018, there were 1,298 catalytic converter thefts for which a claim was filed. In 2019, it was 3,389 thefts with a claim.

"In 2020, catalytic converter theft claims jumped massively to 14,433, a 325 percent increase in a single year," the bureau said.

According to the bureau website, a catalytic converter is a device that looks like a small muffler along the exhaust system. It is designed to convert the environmentally hazardous exhaust emitted by the engine and convert them into less harmful gasses. To do this, manufacturers use platinum, palladium, or rhodium.

"In recent years, however, the values of these precious metals have skyrocketed. As of December 2020, rhodium was valued at $14,500 per ounce, palladium at $2,336 per ounce, and platinum going for $1,061 per ounce. Typically, recyclers will pay $50 to $250 per catalytic converter," the bureau said.