> Why can’t the thief sell to a local shop for $1000, to repair Because there are federal laws against selling for re-use and installing used emissions parts[1

> Why can’t the thief sell to a local shop for $1000, to repair Because there are federal laws against selling for re-use and installing used emissions parts[1] and there are federal laws that make the remanufacturing operation you'd need to make "new cats" less profitable than shipping the used stuff overseas and doing it there.