Pricier than gold: why thieves in Malaysia want your car’s catalytic converter

Pricier than gold: why thieves in Malaysia want your car’s catalytic converter

From Asia - South China Morning Post

April 28, 2026

About this episode

The episode discusses the rising theft of catalytic converters in Malaysia due to the demand for rare metals.

Catalytic converter theft is rising across Malaysia amid strong demand for rare metals used in automotive emission systems. Most of these thefts were reported to have occurred in residential areas, public car parks and transit hubs. Vehicles left unattended, especially overnight, are among the most vulnerable. A senior manager at a car service centre said thieves were targeting catalytic converters, which are components beneath the car along the exhaust system, because they contain rare,...

Topics covered

  • catalytic converter theft
  • rare metals
  • automotive emissions
  • vehicle security
  • crime trends

Keywords

  • catalytic converter
  • theft
  • Malaysia
  • rare metals
  • automotive
  • emission systems
  • vehicle security

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: car service centre

Products: catalytic converter

Places: Malaysia

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