Fuel thefts from gas stations have become more frequent in Germany due to rising prices

Fuel thefts from car gas stations have become more frequent due to high fuel prices in Germany; station owners have begun to block pumps at night to avoid losses, reports the German publication Bild, citing the association protecting the interests of gas station operators in Germany.

On September 25, the Bundestag adopted a law introducing a new temporary discount on gasoline and diesel in Germany to stabilize fuel prices amid the conflict in the Middle East. The German authorities had previously introduced a fuel discount, which ceased to apply at the beginning of July, after which prices at gas stations went up sharply.

“Due to high fuel prices, drivers are increasingly resorting to criminal methods... Some gas station managers are already reacting to this by locking up and locking individual gas stations at night to avoid losses,” the report said.

As the association notes, the willingness to steal fuel has especially increased among young and elderly people.

“When prices move towards 2.4 euros, the psychological barrier that deters crime falls. Some simply leave without paying,” association representative Herbert Rabl said in a comment to the publication.