Alex Trelinski
A gang who stole catalytic converters from parked cars in Alcoy and Elche has been arrested by the Policia Nacional.
Six men, aged 21 to 41, with previous convictions for similar offences have been detained.
Converters are made from valuable metals like platinum, rhodium, and palladium.
Platinum fetches a higher price than gold and currently fetches just over €29 per gram.
Police in Elche got a call that three men were prowling around the city’s Avenida Universidad and going underneath parked cars to remove something from them.
Eye-witnesses gave officers a description of the men’s car which had a foreign number plate.
The vehicle was intercepted a few minutes afterwards.
A catalytic converter was under the driver’s seat along with several hacksaw blades.
Two days later, an Alcoy resident peering out of his window spotted several men crawling underneath vehicles in a car park.
He noticed torch lights flashing from under the cars as three men sized up possible robbery targets.
They tried to flee when police arrived but were arrested.
Officers confirmed that the trio were in the process of trying to cut a converter from a car.
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