Police bust catalytic converter theft ring

Those worried they might be next to have valuable parts stolen from their cars can breathe a small sigh of relief.

Especially now that one major catalytic converter theft ring is no longer a problem — a criminal network that has produced millions of dollars in ill-gotten gains.

That was thanks to the hard work of Nassau County Police Department investigators working with everyone from the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, to U.S. Homeland Security, to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service that brought down a local ring that is likely responsible for thefts from the entire tri-state area.

Catalytic converters are emission control devices that exist on modern cars and trucks, used to turn polluting gases from exhaust into much more manageable carbon dioxide and water.  The devices use precious metals from the platinum family to make that chemical reaction happen — metals that have become very attractive to the criminal world.

“Operation Cat-Track” concluded a year-long investigation earlier this month, hauling in hundreds of stolen converters and millions of dollars that had been locked up at sites in Long Beach, Island Park and Huntington.

“The proceeds at this time were approximately $4 million in U.S. currency, including two seized bank accounts totaling $3.2 million,” said Nassau police commissioner Patrick Ryder. “Thousands of catalytic converters that haven’t been converted yet. Thousands that have been converted.”

It takes just five minutes for a thief to snatch a catalytic converter from a car, Ryder said — something they can quickly turn for as much as $2,000.

Yet, while busts like this create good press, it doesn’t necessarily stop catalytic converter theft from continuing. But there are ways it can be slowed.

“Keep a window cracked so you know what’s happening,” Ryder said. “The saws they use are very noisy. Keep your cars in well-lit areas. Please do not approach them — just call 911.”

Although no arrests have been made as of yet, Ryder said the sites raided were also home to auto shops or businesses like them, where the converters could be broken down successfully to extract the precious metals inside.

Anne Donnelly, Nassau County’s District Attorney, says the latest surge in catalytic converter thefts can be blamed on Russia’s February invasion of Ukraine.

“Even in trace amounts, these metals are very valuable,” Donnelly said. “With global disruption — like the pandemic and the war in Ukraine — their value has only gone up. Make no mistake, these are no simple crimes. There are criminal organizations involved that are profiting on a large scale.”

When arrests are made, it’s not clear what the charges will be. But at least as far as the money is concerned, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman says it will be up to county officials.

“Crime does not pay,” Blakeman said. “It may pay in the short term, but we will eventually track you down, and we will arrest you. And that’s because of our great police department, our district attorney, and our federal partners that were able to do this.”