‘Most Valuable Metal’ On Earth Found Stolen In Hudson Valley, New York

People from Connecticut were allegedly found in the Hudson Valley with the "most valuable metal" on the planet.

The Port Chester Police Department was recently alerted to a suspicious vehicle on Poningo Street in Westchester County. Responding police officers found a vehicle leaving the area that matched the description.

Port Chester, New York Police Search For Suspicious Vehicle in Westchester County.

"With the help of other units a traffic stop was initiated, however, the vehicle failed to comply and led our officer's on a short pursuit onto Byram Road in an attempt to (elude) pursuing officers," the Port Chester Police Department wrote on Facebook. The vehicle struck a traffic island as it neared I-95 and was disabled."

Two people from the car fled after the vehicle hit a traffic island near I-95, police say. One person was found hiding in the backyard shed. The suspect, an unnamed man from Hartford, Connecticut is in custody as police continue to investigate.

'Most Valuable Metal On The Planet' Found Stolen In Hudson Valley, NY

Police officers found numerous catalytic converters and tools to remove catalytic converters in the car, police say. The metal found in Catalytic converters is called "the most valuable metal on the planet."

"More valuable than silver, gold, platinum, or even jewelry," Andrew Robinson continues in the Scientific American article. "Rhodium is a key ingredient in every car sold in the United States since around 1975. It’s part of a system that cleans out pollutants and prevents them from entering the atmosphere. And it’s also the reason why thieves across the U.S. are sawing off catalytic converters in order to get their hands on a few precious grams of the world’s most valuable metal."

Searches about why the metal in a catalytic converter is valuable saw a 5,000 percent increase in the past year, according to Scientific American.

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In 1970, Congress passed the “Clean Air Act.” The act called for a 90 percent reduction in automobile emissions. That's when researchers developed what is the modern three-way catalytic converter.

"The converter itself sits just behind the exhaust manifold and before the muffler. It’s purpose: to reduce 3 harmful types of emission: carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons (or unburned fuel), and nitrous oxides. The converter on regular fuel vehicles is simple: a stainless steel shell surrounds a ceramic honeycomb monolith— that monolith is coated with three important precious metals: platinum, palladium, and rhodium," Robinson adds.

The Port Chester Police Department thanked the caller who noticed "something suspicious and called it in immediately."

"Anyone who has any information or is the victim of THIS crime is asked to contact PCPD at 914-939-6332," the Port Chester Police Department stated.