Woman wanted over multiple petrol thefts in southeast
A woman has been nabbed on video nonchalantly filling two jerry cans before driving off from a servo in Melbourne’s south amid rising petrol thefts across Victoria. WATCH
Inner South
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A woman has been snapped by forecourt CCTV filling large jerry cans with petrol before she and her accomplice drove off without paying.
She was filmed at service station on Clayton Road, Clayton South on December 21 about 7.20pm.
“The woman got out of the passenger seat and filled up two jerry cans with petrol before fleeing the scene without paying in a grey Subaru displaying false plates,” Senior Sergeant Nicole Warner said.
And Moorabbin police have been told a woman went to an Oakleigh service station on Centre Rd on December 17 about 5.20pm and filled jerry cans with petrol and drove off.
The woman is caucasian in appearance, aged in her 30s, with a solid build and blonde hair.
Snr Sgt Warner said police were appealing for public assistance in identifying the woman and a man who stole fuel from a servoc in Mornington lase last year.
The man was pictured on November 27 at 2.35pm at a service station on the Mooroduc Highway, Mornington where he stole $35 worth of fuel. He was driving a black Toyota echo with stolen plates AWG439.
Statistics released late last year revealed 7600 petrol thefts were recorded across Victoria in the year to June — up from 4700 a year earlier.
Australasian Association of Convenience Stores chief executive Jeff Rogut, representing 5500 stores nationwide, said fuel theft cost the state’s industry as much as $20 million a year.
“We just need greater action to say this is unacceptable,’’ Mr Rogut said.
“A crime is a crime.”
In June 2018, Victoria Police agreed to investigate all petrol drive-offs, reversing a policy which placed the burden of proving an offence had been committed on service station operators before police got involved.
At the time, Assistant Commissioner Cindy Millen said: “These changes are designed to reflect that petrol theft often occurs alongside other serious offending, and also assist police to identify repeat offenders and patterns of offending’’.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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