Thieves pull up in broad daylight and steal catalytic converter from car

This is the shocking moment two brazen thieves steal a parked car’s catalytic converter in less than two minutes.

CCTV footage shows the two men drive towards a black Toyota 2006 Prius hybrid parked on a residential street in Cardiff at 12.24pm on February 25.

One of the thieves uses a lever to raise the car before sliding underneath and removing the £700 catalytic converter as his accomplice keeps watch.

The thieves pull up in front of the black Toyota 2006 Prius hybrid in Cardiff at 12.24pm on February 25

One of the suspects uses a lever to raise the car from the ground as his accomplice keeps watch

During the clip, the thieves drive towards the Toyota, which is parked outside a house, and exit their car.

One of the suspects uses a lever to jack up the car and lift it from the ground as his accomplice keeps watch.

He then crawls underneath the car to unscrew the catalytic converter and has it removed in less than two minutes.

He then places the device into the backseat of his car before the pair drive away from the scene.    

MailOnline has contacted South Wales Police for comment.

The scenes come after figures released from 25 UK forces last year revealed that the police had investigated at least 21,000 incidents of catalytic converter thefts in 2020 – a rise from the 13,000 recorded thefts reported the year before.  

The highest number of cases were in London, which saw 14,684 incidents of catalytic converter thefts, while the West Midlands saw 1,623 cases.    

The thief jacks up the car in order to reach the catalytic converter as his accomplice waits

The suspect removes the catalytic converter from underneath the car before the pair flee

Catalytic converters, which clean harmful gases before they exit a vehicle’s exhaust pipe, are more valuable in hybrid cars because they often contain higher concentrations of precious metals and are generally less corroded.

These metals — platinum, palladium and rhodium — are used in converters to capture noxious gases as they flow through a vehicle’s exhaust system.  

Once stolen, the converters are offered to unscrupulous scrap-metal dealers or can be sold online for £200 or more a time.      

They are then dismantled and the extracted metals sold in powder form to refineries around the world for recycling.

Alternatively, stolen converters can be sold on the online second-hand market, an attractive option for cash-strapped motorists as a new one can cost up to £1,000. 

Admiral Insurance says data shows the four most susceptible hybrid models are the Honda Jazz, Toyota Prius, Toyota Auris and Lexus RX of all generations and ages.  

Last year the AA asked motorists to park their car in a garage whenever possible in order to reduce the chances of their car falling prey to catalytic converter thieves.

Drivers can also mark the metal shell of their converter with a unique serial, so that if it is removed by thieves it will be easier to trace back, and block access to their vehicles with other cars.

How to avoid becoming a victim of catalytic converter theft 

• Keep your vehicle in a garage or secure area if you have one 
• Alarms, lighting and CCTV help to deter thieves 
• Buy a protection device for you catalytic converter 
• Set your dash cam to detect movement 
• Park with your exhaust close to a fence, wall or kerb to make it difficult for thieves  
• Avoid parking half on the pavement and half on the road as this makes it easier for thieves 
• If parking in a car park try to park alongside other cars 
• Mark your catalytic converter with your car’s serial number – this makes it harder for thieves to sell it on and means it can be tracked back to your vehicle if police seize it 
• Keep an eye out for people acting suspiciously (especially if they are under a vehicle) and report it by calling 999

A catalytic converter contains an inner core with around 5g of precious metals such as platinum