The theft of catalytic converters has actually ended up being a severe issue for car owners, especially those who own brand-new automobiles. This little metal tube consists of rare-earth elements which deserve countless dollars in worldwide markets
Illustration: TBS
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Illustration: TBS
One early morning in January this year, when Sohel (pseudonym), a Narayanganj-based entrepreneur, turned the ignition on his Toyota Premio, he heard an uncommon rattling sound originating from beneath the car.
The issue appeared unusual to him since just the day prior to the car was driven back home from a vehicle service center.
The gas tank was not adequately complete so he attempted to run the car on octane which is when the sound started. (When the car works on diesel or octane rather of let’s state Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), it’s simpler for the catalytic converter to work even with missing out on parts – and does not make that rattling sound).
Sohel disregarded it as he needed to hurry to the workplace. The next day, the car all of a sudden stopped running and rebooted. But this issue kept repeating.
Seeing no other method, he took the car back to the workshop.
The primary professional called Ali examined the vehicle and changed some supporting parts of the engine. The repair work appeared to work and Sohel no longer had difficulty running the car even on gas.
However, Sohel learnt more about the factor behind the rattle. The reason for it came from, he found out when his car was going through repair work at a various vehicle workshop.
The specialists at the workshop where Sohel took his car back, found a refined however still recognisable long welding mark over the steel body of the car’s catalytic converter. They informed Sohel that his car’s silencer piper mati (catalytic converter’s ceramic honeycomb filters) were taken.
“Initially, I was puzzled. Why does anybody take the catalytic converter? What are the products of a ceramic honeycomb filter? I looked for hints on Google and discovered that these specific car parts are made from really rare-earth elements,” said Sohel.
The cost of taken catalytic converter’s ceramic honeycomb filters (informally referred to as silencer piper mati) varies in between Tk15,000 and Tk40,000. Photo: Collected
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The cost of taken catalytic converter’s ceramic honeycomb filters (informally referred to as silencer piper mati) varies in between Tk15,000 and Tk40,000. Photo: Collected
Before that day, he invested around Tk40,000 changing car parts without truly comprehending the genuine issue. His car got fixed in a minimum of 3 workshops. No professional, however, confessed the stealing.
Sohel needed to spend a comparable quantity of money to get a brand-new catalytic converter. “The extra part was not even available in Dhaka. Later, I purchased an utilized catalytic converter from a Chattogram-based extra parts market,” Sohel said.
Stealing catalytic converters has actually ended up being an extreme issue for car owners, especially those who own brand-new automobiles. The cost of taken and reasonably brand-new catalytic converters in the black market is relatively greater than utilized ones.
The matter does not get much attention from police due to the very little variety of problems. The car owners can neither identify the genuine problem with their car in the start nor can they determine the real burglars.
Stealing special car parts initially captured the attention of news media in 2021. In March of that year, 2 individuals, consisting of one Sylhet-based workshop owner, were captured by some car owners and turned over to the cops.
Next month, Chattogram Metropolitan Police detained 2 others supposedly for taking catalytic converters. Although there were no media reports on the criminal activity, the stealing of catalytic converters has actually not stopped.
What is a catalytic converter?
It is safe to state that owners are normally not knowledgeable about catalytic converters prior to their car starts to make an unusual sound and fumes come out of it. And something appears to be missing out on from the exhaust system.
A catalytic converter is a little, inflated metal tube beneath a car that strains the contaminants in the exhaust gas produced by the engine.
Basically, it is a ceramic honeycomb filter covered by a heat guard and a strong steel body. The honeycomb filter is made up of rare-earth elements consisting of palladium, platinum and rhodium.
Photo: Collected
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Photo: Collected
Every time a driver begins the engine, countless little combustions in each of the engine’s cylinder offers energy to move. At the exact same time, the combustions develop fumes that need an exit method. The catalytic converters receive the fumes and change them into gases like nitrogen, co2, oxygen and water.
Profess Dr Md Ehsan, a professors at the mechanical engineering department at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, said that a catalytic converter is a post-engine emission control gadget having 2 kinds of drivers: decrease and oxidation.
“Without the decrease drivers, driving a car will not deal with huge issues. Only the fumes will contaminate the air. But, if the oxidation drivers are eliminated or taken, the driver can notice a bothersome exhaust system,” he said.
Almost all the extra parts traders and vehicle specialists in Bangladesh understand catalytic converter thefts. But they hardly ever amuse journalistic questions.
Only one Chattogram-based car parts importer Tanvir showed extraordinary. Over the phone, he supplied some insights.
Bangladesh imports reconditioned automobiles generally from Japan and extra parts from Dubai. Dubai likewise imports reconditioned and utilized automobiles from Japan and other European nations. But the automobiles are cut into pieces and extra parts are drawn out. Then the extra parts are exported to other nations like Bangladesh.
