Recently, traffic police and environmental protection departments in many regions have jointly launched special crackdowns to crack down on the illegal disassembly and resale of three-way catalytic converters. Criminals target the precious metals contained in the cores, such as platinum, palladium, and rhodium, and commit crimes at night, causing direct exhaust emissions from vehicles and severely polluting the environment.
Environmental monitoring data from one city shows that vehicles with disassembled three-way catalytic converters have an average NOx emission exceeding the standard by more than eight times, with some vehicles exhibiting severe black smoke. Traffic police have implemented a remote sensing monitoring system to automatically identify and lock down high-emission vehicles.
Relevant departments are reminding vehicle owners not to sell three-way catalytic converters for small profits. Illegal modifications will result in fines, forced restoration, and repercussions for annual inspections. Reporting of theft is also encouraged to safeguard the achievements of the "Blue Sky Defense Campaign."