Business vehicles targeted by metal thieves

by Richard Kilner

Story link: Business vehicles targeted by metal thieves

Bluefin, the national insurance broker, has urged businesses to take measures to help prevent the theft of catalytic converters from fleet vehicles.

Over a five month period the number of such crimes, which involve removing the catalytic converter to sell as scrap metal, has more than doubled from 1,100 to 2,300.

The surge in crime has been fuelled by the rising value of platinum, palladium and rhodium, which are used to make the converters.

Businesses with multiple vehicles are especially vulnerable as the thieves can easily target numerous vehicles in a single location, maximising their potential for illegal gain.

The effect on businesses can involve not just the cost and inconvenience of repairing numerous vehicles but also a delay to business activities whilst all or much of the fleet is grounded.

Bluefin has advised businesses to keep their vehicles locked in a garage or yard, if possible, and to engrave the vehicles’ licence plate number onto the converter.