Rash of exhaust thefts at Duke

DURHAM At the Green Zone parking lot at Frank Bassett Drive, three Duke employee vehicles were found damaged. The catalytic converters were stolen from two of them. A GPS was stolen from the third.

Later in the day, a student reported that an entire exhaust system was stolen from her car in the same parking lot.

Police sources tell Eyewitness News that crooks are stealing exhaust systems for the catalytic converters. The converters reduce harmful compounds in automobile exhaust like carbon monoxide.

One of the metals used in the process is platinum, and the value of the precious metal has skyrocketed recently.

Authorities say thieves can get $40 to $50 for a converter from an unscrupulous scrap metal dealer.