LAKE ELSINORE (CNS) - A law enforcement crackdown on vehicle catalytic converter thefts in and around Lake Elsinore led to three arrests and the issuance of a dozen citations for alleged unlicensed business activity and other offenses, authorities said today.
The daylong operation was conducted by the Riverside County Vehicle Dismantler Industry Strike Team, composed of sheriff's deputies and inspectors from the California Department of Motor Vehicles.
The team has been active since the start of the year in response to a surge in catalytic converter thefts throughout the region and state. Converters are used to filter engine emissions to pare down the amount of pollutants discharged by cars and trucks. The devices, located on the underside of vehicles, average about $1,000 apiece.
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