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In the Congo, criminals use car catalysts to produce a drug called a “bomb.” Local police say the bandits grind ceramic honeycombs on the catalysts and mix them with sedatives and hypnotics. More than 100 people have been detained in the capital, Kinshasa, in the last month alone, stealing catalysts from cars and producing drugs.
According to Reuters, the drug made by the catalysts after ingestion causes severe apathy. Under its influence, people can stand and sway for hours, after which they fall into a long sleep that can last up to several days.
The role of ceramic honeycomb in the composition of the substance remains unclear – probably the powder slows down the action of drugs. Addicts don’t even stop at the fact that the metals contained in catalysts can cause cancer.
Due to rising prices for rare metals, catalysts also began to rise rapidly earlier this year, leading to an increase in car thefts.
Catalysts contain a number of precious and rare metals such as palladium, platinum and rhodium. To prevent their car from being stolen by a catalytic converter, some car owners resort to installing a safety cage under the bottom or even reducing the pressure in the tires while parked – so thieves cannot reach the exhaust system without a jack.
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