By Nicolas Farmine
Published 39 minutes ago, Updated 17 minutes ago
The perpetrators of the theft have not yet been identified. LUDOVIC MARIN / AFP
Six buses parked in a depot were relieved of their pots, prized by spare parts thieves for their precious metals. The damage is estimated at 240,000 euros.
It is a type of theft that is increasing everywhere across the country. This Monday, September 18 in the morning, RATP employees noticed that six buses of line 103 parked in a depot in Créteil (Val-de-Marne) had been stripped of their catalytic converter.
According to consistent sources, the theft was carried out out of sight. The depot’s video surveillance, carefully disconnected by the perpetrators of the theft, was rendered unusable. A complaint was filed by the depot manager with the Créteil police station. According to a police source, each stolen catalytic converter is worth around 40,000 euros, representing a loss of 240,000 euros for the Parisian transport authority.
Thieves fond of catalytic converters
Catalytic converter thefts are becoming more and more common throughout France. These parts, which act as a catalyst in the exhaust of a vehicle with a thermal engine, are notably made of rhodium. Thieves of automobile spare parts are fond of this metal whose value per kilo far exceeds that of gold (4000 euros per ounce compared to just under 2000 for gold)
In May 2023, the gendarmerie dismantled a team of well-organized criminals specializing in the theft of these pots in the Brittany and Pays de la Loire regions. During searches, investigators discovered large quantities of cash accompanied by international transfer orders and the tools needed to dismantle catalytic converters, for a loss of 200,000 euros.
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