"Even Luxury Cars Drive Off Without Paying"... UK Sees Surge in Fuel Theft at Gas Stations Amid Rising Prices

Fuel Prices Surge Amid War, Spurring Rise in Petrol Theft
Industry: "Mounting Losses Increasing the Burden"

In the United Kingdom, there has been a sharp increase in cases where people drive off without paying after refueling their cars. Analysts point out that, combined with recent fuel price hikes, the losses suffered by the gas station industry are mounting.

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According to the BBC on April 21 (local time), data from the fuel theft recovery company Pay My Fuel show that petrol thefts have increased by approximately 62% compared to a year ago.

Owner A, who operates five gas stations in southern England, told the BBC, "Currently, each gas station experiences about five theft incidents per week," adding, "Previously, it was only about one or two cases." The owner explained that this results in a weekly loss of about 2,000 pounds (approximately 3.7 million won).

In fact, CCTV footage captured incidents such as a person on a motorcycle fueling up about 15 pounds’ (about 29,800 won) worth of petrol and fleeing the scene, as well as a van fueling over 150 pounds’ (about 298,000 won) worth of fuel during rush hour before driving off. There have also been confirmed cases of drivers of high-end vehicles leaving without making payment.

The owner stated, "Some incidents may be due to financial difficulties, but most are premeditated thefts," and added, "It seems that a culture has emerged where a certain level of theft is tolerated."

Image of a gas station to aid understanding of the article. Pixabay

According to the data, the average weekly number of thefts per gas station rose from 2.1 cases in March last year to 3.4 cases in March this year. The amount of damage per incident also increased by 46% over the same period. In some regions, the scale of losses is reported to be even higher.

The industry believes that the recent rise in oil prices following tensions between the United States, Israel, and Iran has contributed to the trend. According to the Royal Automobile Club (RAC), despite a slight recent decrease, petrol prices in the UK remain 19.2% higher and diesel prices 34.5% higher than before the outbreak of war.

The UK government stated, "Fuel theft is a crime that threatens businesses and workers," vowing to respond firmly and urging anyone who witnesses such crimes to report them. Police are also strengthening cooperation with gas stations and related businesses to prevent repeat offenses and to identify suspects.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.