Winnipeg police make 3 arrests in catalytic converter thefts after months-long investigation

Winnipeg police have arrested three people in connection with a series of catalytic converter thefts, following a raid on a scrapyard earlier this month.

The Winnipeg Police Service said Friday that after a four-month investigation, its tactical support team and the Springfield Police Service searched a business in the 2200 block of Springfield Road, at the northeastern edge of the city, on June 2.

They seized 13 catalytic converters, $12,500 in Canadian currency, 9.4 grams of cocaine, 300 grams of cannabis, 2,400 milligrams of psilocybin and transactional documents, according to police.

The investigation was launched after a significant spike in catalytic converter thefts, and was called Project Precious, named for the precious metals found in the valuable automobile exhaust system components, which turn toxic pollutants into less harmful gasses before they are expelled.

Catching the thieves in the act is difficult, because it's a quick job to remove the part from a vehicle, Winnipeg Police Service public information officer Const. Dani McKinnon said at a Friday news conference.

"We knew they were taking them somewhere. This particular scrapyard was located, and over the four months learned that it was a prevalent player," McKinnon said.

She said while 13 converters were seized, police determined that the stolen units were being brought to the scrapyard in large quantities, not one by one.

Two men from Anola, Man., ages 35 and 48, are facing seven charges, including: 

• Possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.
• Trafficking property obtained by crime over $5,000.
• Possessing proceeds of property obtained by crime over $5,000.

They also face various drug-related charges. None of their charges have been tested in court.

A 43-year-old Winnipeg man has been charged with possessing property obtained by crime under $5,000 and failure to comply with a release order.

Thefts quadrupled in last year: police

Stealing catalytic converters and selling them for scrap metal is "quite lucrative," said McKinnon, with the parts selling for hundreds of dollars each.

She estimated Friday that the thefts have quadrupled in the last year.

Last December, Manitoba Public Insurance told CBC that there had been a 450 per cent increase in the thefts between 2020 and 2021. Replacing the converters can cost owners between $1,500 and $2,500, MPI said.

Steven Zacharias, general manager of Carvista on Winnipeg's Regent Avenue, said he's lost $45,000 worth of converters in the last three years.

His used car dealership sells RVs and motorhomes. The replacement cost for converters on those vehicles ranges from $6,000 and $7,000 each.

Since January, three converters have been stolen from the dealership's lot, he said. It's become routine now for staff to do daily walkthroughs of the lot, checking for thefts.

"The last thing you want to do when you have a customer show up to buy their 30, 40, $50,000 vehicle is fire it up and it sounds like a tractor because it has no catalytic converter," Zacharias said.

He doesn't think police are doing enough to stop the thefts.

He said in one instance, tools were left behind underneath a motorhome after a theft. He carefully put them in a bag and notified police, he said.

Two years later, the tools are still sitting on his desk.

He'd like to see it become mandatory for a vehicle's serial number to be engraved onto its converter.

Government recently passed legislation

In June, the Manitoba government passed legislation that it hopes will deter metal theft and the resale of scarp metal.

The province will require scrap metal dealers to record identifying information about the sellers they deal with and details about all metal sales.

They'll also be required to report information about specific items that are considered highly vulnerable to law enforcement, and will have to hold that information for two years.

The government still needs to proclaim the law to enforce it.

For now, though, police recommend car owners park in garages and well-lit areas if they can, McKinnon said.

"At the end of the day, this is a crime of opportunity.… If your vehicle is targeted, it's nothing you did wrong," she said.