A man is on the run after stealing thousands of dollars fuel of a family-owned gas station Sydney’s south.
The fuel thief was seen on CCTV on Saturday filling several jerry cans with up to 600 liters of diesel without paying the $2,874 bill he racked up at a Budget petrol station in Mascot.
The man even spoke to the attendant before getting gas, and nearly ran him over as he reportedly fled.
The man drove away after filling several jerry cans with 600 liters of diesel. (Nine)
The cashier chased the man down Baxter Road before the driver reached a dead end.
He almost hit the clerk as he walked back out into the street while the cashier was filming what happened.
The man managed to escape and a scan of the license plates showed that the car had been stolen.
“What he did is criminal and it is very disappointing for our company,” said Budget Petrol operations manager Diann Melas.
The man actually entered the gas station and spoke to the attendant before the alleged theft. (Nine)
“Each store is an independent, family-owned business, and walking away with $3,000 in gas comes from our expenses.”
As the fuel crisis continues, prices According to the Australian Association of Convenience Stores, thefts have increased by up to 50 percent and supply has become scarce.
It is not only in cities where brazen thefts take place, but also in rural areas Queensland is accused of stealing 1000 liters of diesel from a nearby property.
Police allege that sometime between April 1 and 3, the 59-year-old drove his 2006 Holden Crewman car into a property on Texas Yelarbon Road in Yelarbon, four hours west of the Gold Coast.
There he allegedly transferred fuel from a storage unit to a medium bulk container on the back of his vehicle and drove away with it.
The bulk container allegedly used to transport the stolen fuel is believed to have come from a property in rural Queensland. (Queensland Police)
Following an investigation by local police, with assistance from the local community, the Yelarbon man and the ute were found on Monday in a property along the Cunningham Highway.
He has been charged with one charge of theft and will appear in the Goondiwindi Magistrates Court on April 22.
With the price of diesel continues to rise well above $3 per literfarmers are encouraged to take steps to help prevent thefts, including securing their fuel supplies, installing and signage of security cameras and storing fuel out of direct view from the road.
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