Catalytic Converter Thieves Caught in the Act, Chased Away With Paintball Guns

The footage shows two men emerging from a red sedan holding metal-cutting saws. The two approach the car, look under it, then crawl under it and begin to cut off the precious metal component that has been hunted by many thieves for some time, the catalytic converter.

Except the thieves get a big, rather unpleasant surprise. While these two are busy cutting the catalytic converter, two other men with paintball guns come out of the house and start shooting. The thieves rush out from under the car and run off. One manages to get into the red car, but the other doesn't, so he continues running for cover.

Even though paintball guns are not lethal, they can cause quite a lot of pain in the areas where they hit.

We don't know how the incident ended because the video abruptly ends at one point. Most likely, the thieves fled the scene, the car owner called the police and maybe even provided them with the footage to help them catch the perpetrators.

Although there are many ways to protect your car's catalytic converter from thieves, parking it in a locked garage is the most effective method.

Theft of catalytic converters has increased dramatically in recent years. This is because thieves have realized that these devices contain valuable raw materials and chemicals. While a few years ago they were quite expensive, now they have become even more valuable, following recent supply chain disruptions. In this case, catalytic converter thefts increased especially during the pandemic period, when many car owners were trapped in their homes due to restrictions.