MEXICO – A burglary last Tuesday night netted $3,500 worth of used catalytic converters containing the soft metal lithium.

Mexico police Chief Jim Theriault said someone broke into a storage truck located at the rear of Dupuis Towing and Salvage along Route 2 during the night of Nov. 14. The burglary and theft were reported at 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 15.

Theriault said between 50 and 75 catalytic converters were taken. The lithium in them is used in products including batteries and cell phones. Its value has increased substantially in the past decade, according to research articles. The metal is also a catalyst for producing methamphetamine labs.

Theriault believes the burglary may be related to one that occurred on Nov. 15 in Roxbury at a junkyard owned by Ted Daigle. He said that burglary, under investigation by the Maine State Police, resulted in the building being cleaned out of tools and salvage materials.

Both incidents remain under investigation.

He said Mexico police are following up on tire tracks left at the theft here.