Crime Doesn't Pay: Boneheaded catalytic converter thieves snitch on themselves

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In a scene straight from Dumb & Dumber , two men were arrested after they returned to the scene of a crime to retrieve a personal effect – one that was full of identifying information.

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With the price of certain precious metals currently headed into the stratosphere and beyond, catalytic converter theft has become a pretty serious problem. According to a press release by the Ridge Meadows RCMP detachment, a resident of the area reported suspicious activity occurring near his vehicle in the middle of the night. A quick inspection revealed the catalytic converter from his car was missing – but also uncovered a surprising detail.

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Crime Doesn't Pay: Boneheaded catalytic converter thieves snitch on themselves Back to video

One of the accused left his wallet behind.

Cops strongly suspect the victim caught the thieves off-guard during their alleged caper, forcing them to quickly flee. In the process of scampering away like rats, they apparently dropped a saw blade of the type generally used to cut metal, plus the wallet. Not their first rodeo, the RCMP officers rightly assumed the ne’er-do-wells would return to look for the missing ID.

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After a short stakeout, they stopped two men who were circling the area in a vehicle. It didn’t take long for the gendarmes to determine the dropped identification matched one of the car’s occupants. Also found aboard the car? The suspected stolen catalytic converter.

Both men were arrested for theft, mischief, and possession of tools used for breaking and entering. They were released on conditions and will face the music at a future court date.

Catalytic converter theft has skyrocketed in recent months, thanks to an increase in value of the metals contained inside those particular exhaust parts. The converter is designed to scrub pollutants from a car’s exhaust and is an important component of the machine’s emissions system. Replacements can be expensive, with many repairs of this nature stretching into four-figure territory.