One day this spring, Halmstad resident Hussein Abdulhamid's car did not behave as usual.
As he turned the key, a huge noise was heard from the engine.
- The car sounded like a tractor, he says.
Under the car was the cause of the noise - the catalyst had been sawn away from the exhaust pipe with two neat cuts and a saw blade was left at the crime scene.
This week it happened again - the familiar rumble was heard again when Hussein was about to start the car.
- But the second time, fortunately, they had not succeeded, they had only cut one side of the exhaust pipe.
They had probably been disturbed during the process, he says.
"A gold mine"
It is an old car, worth maybe 10,000, and every time the catalytic converter is stolen, it costs several thousand kronor.
- It's a sour thing, to have to spend money and time on it again.
It's boring.
The residential area's parking is obscured by trees and a little away from the houses.
Many also have old cars, something that can be attractive to thieves as some models contain more of the precious precious metals.
This year, the otherwise quiet residential area has been hit hard by the car thieves' progress.
For a time, Hussein Abdulhamid heard almost daily about neighbors who were affected, especially those with older cars.
- It is a gold mine for the thieves, he states.
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Learn how the international theft leagues work, step by step, in the video above Photo: Storyblocks