28 Arrested, 112 Catalytic Converters Seized in Illegal Car Parts Operation in Inland Empire

Authorities arrested 28 people and confiscated 112 catalytic converters in a sweeping investigation of an illegal car parts operation in the Inland Empire, San Bernardino County sheriff’s officials said. 

Multiple law enforcement agencies participated in the investigation, which included 64 automotive repair shops and recycling facilities in Chino Hills, Chino, Upland, Montclair, Ontario, Fontana and unincorporated areas of San Bernardino County, officials said. 

Catalytic converters are a common target of theft, as they contain small amounts of precious metals that reduce a vehicle’s toxic emissions and can be sold to auto supply shops, scrapyards and recycling operations for hundreds of dollars, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. 

Read the entire news article.  Los Angeles Times, by Felicia Alvarez, June 10, 2022 

NICB assisted with in the operation.