Warning as fuel theft from tanks and trucks on increase as prices rise

The rise in oil prices has led to an increase in the theft of fuel from storage tanks and vehicles in Cork.

Gardaí have warned the public to be on the lookout, following the theft of fuel from up to five trucks in North Cork in recent days.

The president of the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) has told The Echo there needs to be stricter penalties for the siphoning of fuel from vehicle tanks.

Speaking to The Echo, Sergeant Mick O’Connell, of Anglesea St Garda Station, said there have been several instances of fuel theft in recent days, outside the city.

“It’s especially common in farmers’ yards and transport yards, and there have been instances of fuel siphoned from tanks, too, like kerosene tanks for home heating, because they’re not locked,” said Sgt O’Connell.

“We don’t tend to see it in the city as much, because the transport hubs would have good security. This happens more in open yards that are quieter, darker, and more isolated. There has been a spike in this in the last couple of days, and it’s something we might see more of, or more attempts of, as the fuel crisis continues.

“The price of fuel is only going up at the pumps, so there is definitely a market for it,” he added.

“As we go in to the winter months, we would always advise people to put a lock on their tanks or to park their trucks with the fuel cap towards a wall.

“Fuel siphoning is considered theft, but in the majority of these cases it’s happening in areas without CCTV, so it’s hard to get a positive result.”

President of the IRHA, Ger Hyland, said fuel siphoning is a “huge issue” across the country, with some trucks carrying up to €2,300 worth of diesel.

“We’ve had this problem for a number of years,” said Mr Hyland.

“Our drivers are waking up to find their fuel has been robbed overnight. It is a huge issue for us. Some of our drivers are carrying up to 1,000 litres of fuel at one time, which costs anywhere between €2,200 and €2,300. We have to be more vigilant now than ever.”

He said a related issue is the lack of safe and secure parking for drivers and their trucks at night.

“Our drivers are the most important asset we have, but we’re finding that there’s not enough room for trucks to park up at service stations, so they’re being forced into lay-bys in country areas.

“These thieves are organised; they would have no problem taking a driver on. We can replace the fuel, but we can’t replace a life.

“The people doing this have sophisticated vans, they’re kitted out with pumping systems, they’ll park beside your truck and empty the tank in two to three minutes.”

Mr Hyland added that while the majority of hauliers have anti-siphoning devices in their trucks, “these people have no problem boring a hole into the top of your tank.”