Police found stolen catalytic converters worth more than £17,000 when they stopped three men in a car on a remote rural road.
Alexander Girtan, 24, Florin Brindus, 30, and Bogdan Bucea, 26, were stopped in their Citroen vehicle by police on the A1122 at Salter's Lode, near Downham Market at just after 1.30am.
Norwich Crown Court heard police discovered a total of seven catalytic converter units, worth a total of £17,196, in the rear of the vehicle.
Chris Youell, prosecuting, said following the stop in the early hours of October 4 last year police received calls from two Thetford-based companies Arrowdene Ltd and Furncare Ltd.
They were "reporting that their respective compounds had been entered overnight and catalytic converters removed from some of their parked vehicles".
The companies provided CCTV footage showing two individuals entering the premises with one of them wearing a jacket resembling that worn by Girtan when stopped by police.
Mr Youell said it had been a "joint enterprise" between them adding "they all knew what was going on".
Girtan, Brindus and Bucea, all from Peterborough, appeared at court on Friday (February 3) to be sentenced having all admitted theft.
Girtan also admitted using a motor vehicle without insurance and driving otherwise in accordance with a licence.
Sentencing them each to nine months in prison, Judge Alice Robinson said it had been a group activity that "undoubtedly took a degree of planning".
Judge Robinson told all three defendants that "stealing catalytic converters was not an appropriate way to provide for your families".
Marc Brown, mitigating for Brindus, said his client did not accept he was a "participant in the physical removal of catalytic converters" but was there and "clearly an active participant".
Mr Brown said he was "not known to the court" and was "regretful for his actions".
Andrew Oliver, mitigating for Bucea, said there was "obviously some planning here to commit these offences" but insisted it was not "significant".
He said his client was "very sorry" and accepts he had made a "stupid mistake".
Mark Fraser, mitigating for Girtan, said he should receive credit for his plea and was a man of "previous good character".
He said there was "some degree of planning" involved in the offence which was a joint enterprise.
Girtan also had eight points added to his licence.
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