Throughout the week officers also visited scrap metal dealers to check stolen items were not being accepted and delivered postcards to residents offering crime prevention advice.
Toyotas and Hondas have been predominantly targeted but other vehicles including Lexus, Mercedes, Mazda and Volkswagen have also been singled out.
Catalytic converters are found in the exhaust system of every car and reduce the output of toxic gases and pollutants.
Stealing them has become popular because they aren’t easily identifiable and can be sold on for the precious metals found inside them which can fetch between £50 and £200 a time.
Motorists can take the following precautions to help prevent them from becoming a victim:
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Published:
5:42 PM March 3, 2021
Updated:
5:43 PM March 3, 2021
Cambridgeshire Constabulary are urging residents to be vigilant following a surge in vehicle catalytic converter thefts.
- Credit: YouTube/Cambs Cops
Police in Cambridgeshire are seeing a surge in catalytic converter thefts across the county after 40 incidents were reported within the last month alone.
Since February, there have been reported thefts in Ely, Soham, Wilburton, Stretham, Wicken and all over the south – the equivalent of more than one every day.
Toyotas and Hondas have been predominantly targeted but other vehicles including Lexus, Mercedes, Mazda and Volkswagen have also been singled out.
Detective Inspector Nick Cook said: “We believe there are a number of groups of people coming from out of the county to carry out these thefts.