Four catalytic converters stolen in Bangor

Bangor police are investigating the theft of four catalytic converters taken Tuesday from vehicles parked at two locations on Griffin Road.

Police were dispatched to Quirk Cars By Us, 44 Griffin Road, to investigate a report of three stolen catalytic converters, then to the old location of the business near where Griffin Road meets Kenduskeag Stream, Sgt. Brad Johnston said Friday.

No arrests have been made.

Theft of catalytic converters has increased in recent months and spurred legislation designed to force creation of a paper trail for people trying to sell them. The parts contain platinum, rhodium and palladium, metals that have a relatively high scrap value. (Nok-Noi Ricker, BDN)

A Bangor man under investigation by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency was arrested Thursday for alleged trafficking in cocaine, said Garry Higgins, MDEA director.

Ben Michaud, 23, a Columbia Street resident, was charged with two counts of trafficking in cocaine, a Class B crime punishable by up to 10 years in jail and a fine of up to $20,000, Higgins said. The amount of cocaine found was not disclosed.

Michaud spent Thursday night at the Penobscot County Jail. He appeared in 3rd District Court in Bangor on Friday and was released on $500 bail, according to a jail official. (Nok-Noi Ricker, BDN)