Two catalytic converters were reported removed and stolen from vehicles parked near Route 31 in Lake in the Hills, according to police reports.

The first converter was reported missing at 2:17 p.m. Thursday, March 14, from a vehicle at Milestone Mortgage, 9205 S. Route 31. The converter was removed from the vehicle sometime during the previous night, according to Lake in the Hills Police reports.

The second device was taken from Preferred Office Installations, 9174 Trinity Dr., where a catalytic converter and an oxygen sensor were reported stolen at 2:18 p.m. March 14.

The devices are used to reduce pollution and noise.

Thieves are stealing converters because the price of precious metals is skyrocketing, and catalytic converters contain enough platinum, palladium or rhodium making it worth the risk to cut it from a car, according to Nationwide.com.

Stolen converters can be sold to scrap yards for $100 or more, according to Nationwide.com.