Thief makes off with R369 in petrol
An uMhlanga service station was targeted in the latest incident.
POLICE have warned service station owners and petrol attendants to be vigilant when people are filling up with petrol. This comes after an incident in which a fuel thief drove off without paying for petrol. The man made off with R369 in petrol from a service station in Jubilee Grove in uMhlanga.
Lt Raymond Deokaran, communications officer for the Durban North SAPS, urged petrol attendants and station owners to ask drivers to switch off their cars while they are filling up.
“In the latest case, the man filled up with R369 worth of petrol, and as the attendant closed the fuel cap, the man switched on his car and drove off. What’s more, he had removed the number plates on his car so we were not able to trace the vehicle. Some petrol stations in America demand upfront payment from motorists for fuel, maybe we should begin implementing that system here. Most of the incidents occur in the early hours of the morning or late at night,” he said.
He advised garage owners to install CCTV cameras with highly visible signage warning that everything was being recorded.
