The number of catalytic converters stolen in Ireland is soaring, with an estimated 50 being stolen every month.
A man and a juvenile have been arrested as part of an operation targeting catalytic converter theft in Dublin.
Personnel attached to the Special Crime Task Force attached to the Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) and the Dublin Metropolitan District conducted an intervention on a number of vehicles in Clongriffin, North Dublin on Thursday.
In the course of the operation, a number of items were seized, including four stolen catalytic converters, a car-jack, cutting equipment and a number of cloned registration plates, along with two falsely registered vehicles and one cloned registered vehicle.
A 21-year old man and a juvenile male were arrested for an offence under Section 73 Criminal Justice Act, 2006 at the scene.
Both were detained at Coolock Garda Station pursuant to Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007.
The man was subsequently charged with two counts of Section 15 Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001 and one count of Section 18 Criminal Justice (theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2021.
He is due to appear before the Criminal Courts of Justice on Friday 9 July.
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 (9 July), the price of one ounce of palladium stands at €2,393.
