With fuel prices surging past $3/L in the North East, local police are encouraging property owners to stay ahead of the curve by securing their resources as they prepare for a potential rise in theft.

Acting Inspector and Wangaratta Local Area Commander, Nathan Ractliffe said while the local force have not yet seen any increase in incidents of fuel theft, they were holding active discussions over what enforcement will look like if the crime began to escalate.

“We know now fuel is going to be worth more than gold,” he said.

“We’re trying to be ahead of that curve.”

“We’d like farmers to not make it easy for people to come onto their property and steal.

“I think one good thing about the rural environment is that we often know who is hurting us, we can identify our known offenders and we jump on it pretty quick.”

Statewide, a Victoria Police spokesperson said the force remained closely engaged with all relevant stakeholders in the petrol industry and at this stage there were no notable trends of escalating petrol theft.

“However, police will continue to monitor this situation,” they said.

“There is a possibility of this leading to an increase in petrol drive-offs, however the most common culprits are traditionally people committing other crimes such as driving stolen cars or displaying false plates.

“We encourage retailers to immediately report instances of petrol theft so police can begin investigating.”

The spokesperson said retailers can report incidents online at www.onlinereporting.police.vic.gov.au or by calling 131 444.

“All reports are investigated thoroughly by police,” they said.