A theft ring that had connections all across the country was shut down by federal authorities, resulting in 21 arrests nationwide.
The criminal operation in question trafficked in stolen catalytic converters, valuable pieces of machinery that can be found on the undercarriage of most automobiles.
Their ease of access is only part of what makes them a popular target for some thieves. They also generally contain precious metals like palladium, platinum or rhodium.
In all, authorities exercised 32 separate search warrants as part of the investigation and made arrests in five states, with the dollar amount of the stolen goods trafficked by the group reportedly totaling in the millions.
The base of operations for the ring was Sacramento, Ca. Three brothers at the top of the group’s food chain would buy the stolen goods there and ship them cross-country to New Jersey for processing.
Just one swiped catalytic converter can sell for as much as $1,000 on the black market.
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