Major Catalytic Converter Bust; $7 Million Seized: Police

MINEOLA, NY — A large bust of millions of dollars and thousands of stolen catalytic converters were seized by the Nassau County police.

The items were taken from a van and more than $4 million in cash was found on a table after police executed a search warrant in Long Beach on Wednesday,

"Operation Cat Track" was a year-long investigation.

"This last year in the tri-state area, the theft of catalytic converters has gone up over 300%," Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said at a news conference.

The catalytic converters are valued car parts for thieves, made of metals that include rhodium, which is worth up at least $12,000 an ounce.

The homes of two Long Beach brothers, Andrew Pawelsky, 24, and Alan Pawelsky, 20, were seized before dawn on Wednesday, Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said.

Police also served search warrants at the two Island Park scrap yard businesses run by the brothers, Ryder said.

"Every [scrap] yard that has turned a blind eye and taken these in, you better open up both those of eyes because the next knock on the door is going to be the Nassau County Police Department," Ryder said.

The commissioner said police also seized three vehicles, financial records, cellphones, video systems and thousands more catatylic converters during the search.

A tip to the Homeland Security office in St. Paul, Minnesota led investigators to zero-in on Nassau County.