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TOLEDO, Ohio — Toledo police are investigating after thieves stole the catalytic converter from a crime scene investigative unit's van this week.

Authorities said the van was parked in the Vistula parking garage along Superior Street when someone took the catalytic converter sometime between 7 a.m.Tuesday and 1:30 a.m. Wednesday.

The van was towed away for repair. Detectives are investigating.

Catalytic converter thefts have become a problem in the city and around the country in recent years. The car parts, which are attached to the muffler and help prevent toxic engine exhaust, can be easy for thieves to cut loose and sell for scrap metal. Also, the converters contain some valuable rare metals such as platinum, rhodium and palladium.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau, which tracks the issue, has noted a dramatic increase since 2018, when only 1,298 insurance claims were filed for catalytic converter theft, to 2020, when insurance policy holders filed 14,433 such claims.

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