With gas prices at or near record levels, the theft of gas is becoming a problem once again. The same thing happened back in 2008 when the price at the pump passed $1.50 a liter. But this time, there’s a dangerous trend. In Langley, gas thieves are now drilling into vehicles’ gas tanks to get at the liquid gold.
When Greg Medvedeff was filling up his car, he thought he’d become the victim of a classic theft: a little gas siphoned, a tank to refill. But when he started hearing gas flowing through and looked down, he saw a hole drilled right through his tank.
Only about 20 liters was drained, but it will cost Medvedeff 500 dollars to replace the tank.
Get daily National news
“A drill bit going into a flammable liquid is probably not a smart thing to do,” says Darryl Trentini with Dale’s Automotive Centre. “But gas is $1.50 a liter and people are going to steal it if they can.”
When gas hit $1.50 in the Lower Mainland in 2008, Red Cross vans in Burnaby were drilled in the same way.
This year, gasoline climbed back to that dollar and a half mark by May 25. Since May 24, Langley RCMP have had eight reported gas thefts, three of them tanks drained through holes, but suspect there are more still unreported.
“We had reports up in Walnut Grove, which is a residential area. We’ve also had reports in Aldergrove, which is construction sites,” said Cpl. Patrick Davies with Langley RCMP. “So there does not seem to be a common thread between them. It seems almost to be a crime of opportunity.”
Police recommend vigilance and parking in well lit areas.
All things Greg Medvedeff thought he had in the alley where his truck was damaged.
“If gas prices are that bad, I guess that is how you get gas. But the simple fact is – it could have blown my truck and myself and my neighbourhood, so it is just something to look at and just be aware that this is happening, and it is dangerous.”
Comments