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FRAMINGHAM – A Framingham car dealership reported a catalytic converter stolen from a vehicle on its property on Wednesday, August 31.

The theft was reported at 12:45 at Framingham Ford, 1,200 Worcester Road in Framingham.

Framingham Police have no suspects at this time.

There has been an increase in catalytic converter thefts in Framingham this year, but the City is not alone.

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The National Insurance Crime Bureau has the a 325% increase in thefts from 2019 to 2020.

A catalytic converter is a tool installed on every car, be it diesel or gasoline. The converter is a catalyst located in the exhaust channel that works to filter hydrocarbons and other pollutants as waste products of engine combustion.

The converter auto part contains platinum, palladium or rhodium.

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On the black market, those metals can mean $100 to $250 for every converter stolen.

But for the owners of the vehicles, the replacement can be even more expensive.

Parts & labor can be $1,000 to more than $2,000 to replace and install a new converter.

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By editor

Susan Petroni is the former editor for SOURCE. She is the founder of the former news site, which as of May 1, 2023, is now a self-publishing community bulletin board. The website no longer has a journalist but a webmaster.