The value of the metals used in catalytic converters has risen sharply in recent years.
Gardaí have seized 110 catalytic converters and a large sum of cash during a search operation in Meath on Thursday morning (11 February 2021).
Around 10am, Gardaí attached to the Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR) North Divisional Crime Task Force searched a business premises in east Meath under warrant.
They were assisted by personnel from the Stolen Motor Vehicle Investigation Unit, Santry DDU and local Gardaí.
The search operation was conducted as part of an ongoing investigation into the theft of catalytic converters throughout the Dublin Metropolitan Region and subsequent regions.
During the course of the search, Gardaí seized 110 catalytic converters, €27,500 and £55,000 Sterling as well as a number of documents.
The number of catalytic converters stolen in Ireland is soaring with an estimated 50 being stolen every month.
They're a target for thieves as they're relatively easy to remove from cars and the value of the metals used in them has risen sharply in recent years.
Palladium, one of the metals used in the catalytic converter, sold for about €142 per ounce in 2008. But as of the time of writing (11 February), the price of one ounce of palladium stands at €1,951.
