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Owners of newer trucks warned about catalytic converter theft

Locking the door doesn’t stop these thieves.Mounties in Alberta are warning owners of newer trucks about a rash of thefts involving catalytic converters.It’s happened eight times in the last three weeks in Airdrie, north of Calgary, and dozens of times in Edmonton, some right off dealership lots.

CALGARY — Locking the door doesn’t stop these thieves.

Mounties in Alberta are warning owners of newer trucks about a rash of thefts involving catalytic converters.

It’s happened eight times in the last three weeks in Airdrie, north of Calgary, and dozens of times in Edmonton, some right off dealership lots.

Police say thieves go under the truck, use a cordless saw or just a socket and cut the converter right off in 10 minutes.

Const. Meagan Fillion says victims have come outside, see someone under their vehicle, go back inside the house to call police and when they come out, the thief and the converter is gone.

Some converters contain precious metals and one can fetch $600 at a metal recycler.

Eric Grand-Maison, who owns one of the biggest metal recyclers in Western Canada, wants to see the industry regulated.

“Basically, in order to deal with converters, you should have to be approved by the government and also law enforcement that you’re OK to buy converters, because it’s such a cash-bashed industry and you can make a lot of money,” he said.

Getting a vehicle identification number engraved on the converter and buying special locks can thwart thieves, say police.