Japan thieves target mufflers from Toyota Prius cars as metal prices spike amid Ukraine war

Prices of platinum, palladium and rhodium – used in the emissions-reducing catalytic converter of the vehicle’s muffler – increased since the Ukraine war

One Japanese newspaper reported that catalytic converters from old Prius models are being sold for US$1,455 a piece on an online auction site

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Japan has seen a spate of car part thefts involving older model Toyota Prius’ whose mufflers are being cut out by thieves for their precious metals. Photo: AP/File

Published: 8:00pm, 13 Dec 2022

Japan has seen a spate of car part thefts involving older models of the Toyota Prius whose mufflers are being cut out by thieves for their precious metals.

Prices of the three rare metals – platinum, palladium and rhodium – used in the emissions-reducing catalytic converter, a device connected to the muffler have jumped since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, making them a profitable commodity on the black market.

Russia produces around 40 per cent of the world’s supply of palladium, which trades around US$1,870 per troy ounce.

A man walks beside vehicles on the lot of a Toyota showroom in the US. Photo: EPA/File

Police in eastern Japan’s Chiba, where the pilfering was acute, said the prefecture registered 133 cases of muffler or catalytic converter robberies from January to November, with 80 per cent involving the Prius. Last year saw only a dozen such cases.

“We believe that thieves stole the mufflers and catalytic converters quickly by using tools, not by using large equipment that can lift cars,” an officer told the Asahi newspaper.

According to the newspaper, catalytic converters from old Prius models on an online auction site are being sold for around 200,000 yen (US$1,455) a piece.

The Nikkei reported police in the central Aichi prefecture, home to the headquarters of Toyota Motors, plan to investigate how stolen catalytic converters are resold. The National Police Agency has instructed recyclers to verify identities of their customers and keep records of transactions.