Rüsselsheim/Büttelborn (dpa/lhe) – A man is said to have stolen more than 500 catalytic converters with a total value of several hundred thousand euros from a warehouse in Rüsselsheim. The 29-year-old suspect has been in custody since Tuesday, according to the Darmstadt public prosecutor and the police. The new catalytic converters come from the factory premises of an automotive group.
The alleged perpetrator is said to have transported the loot in a stolen van with two other men aged 28 and 31. According to the police, the trio then fled to a forest near Büttelborn in the Groß-Gerau district, reloaded the catalytic converters and set the van on fire. On Monday, police searched the suspects’ homes and garages and found the stolen catalytic converters. Investigators are now checking whether the suspects were responsible for similar thefts on the factory premises in July 2021 and March 2022. In the total of three acts, more than 1,000 catalytic converters worth around 800,000 euros were stolen.