Man remanded for attempting to steal catalytic converter

A 38-year-old man was remanded for six days on Monday after he was arrested for stealing a catalytic converter from a car belonging to a woman in Paralimni last Saturday.

According to Famagusta police spokesperson Steve Theodoulou, the woman reported to the police that she saw a man attempting to steal the catalytic converter from underneath her car after seeing him from the window of a supermarket where she was working.

“A CCTV video recorded by the supermarket’s surveillance system showed the perpetrator stopping his rental car adjacent to the woman’s car and attempting to get under it to steal the converter,” Theodoulou said.

The police spokesperson said the man was found sleeping in his rental car on the same day he was caught in the act of stealing.

He also added that the car rented by the man was supposed to be returned to the rental company by November 22, but never was.

The man is also suspected of being involved in seven other cases of catalytic converter thefts that took place in the area.

A catalytic converter is an exhaust emission control device that reduces toxic gases and pollutants in exhaust gas. The catalyst itself is most often a mix of precious metals, mostly platinum.