'Drive‑off' fuel thefts cost millions even before the war—and they're heading up

With petrol and diesel prices soaring, we're hearing more reports of alleged fuel thefts from petrol stations, farms, trucks and even parked cars. The Australasian Convenience and Petroleum Marketers Association's chief executive officer, Rowan Lee, told AAP this week that fuel theft from service stations had increased by between 8–30% nationally since the start of the Middle East war. Even before the conflict began, fuel theft was costing retailers around A$80 million a year.