Construction sites a particularly frequent target for diesel thieves

Thieves repeatedly steal large quantities of fuel from construction sites. (Symbolic image) / Photo: Jan Woitas/dpa

Police advise preventive measures

For years, fuel thefts in the single to double-digit range have been registered every month, according to the Leipzig police. A spokesperson said that the police are therefore advising people to take measures to prevent theft or at least make it more difficult.

The police recommend not parking vehicles with a full tank in the dark and away from populated areas. Lockable tank caps, monitoring and alarm systems can provide additional protection. Tank facilities in agricultural or commercial areas should be access-secure, illuminated, alarm-protected and equipped with motion detectors.

13,000 liters of diesel stolen from agricultural businesses

In March, the police registered 16 fuel thefts in Leipzig and the districts of Leipzig and North Saxony. One case stood out due to the large quantity involved: between 23 and 25 March, unknown perpetrators stole 13,000 liters of diesel from a petrol station at a farm in Brandis.

The Chemnitz police department reported an increase in the number of cases in March for its area of responsibility. In Chemnitz, Central Saxony and the Erzgebirgskreis district, officers recorded twelve cases.

Thieves mainly targeted construction machinery, which has significantly larger tanks than cars; there were five thefts and three attempts in this area. Unknown persons stole a total of 500 liters of diesel worth around 1,100 euros from two excavators in the quarry in Eibenstock. The same amount was stolen from a truck tank at the Auerswalder Blick rest area on the A4 north of Chemnitz. There were also three cases of fuel fraud in which drivers drove off after filling up without paying.

A spokesperson for the Zwickau police department said that there were no anomalies. From March 1 to 26, only five fuel thefts were reported there. Offenders pumped around 500 liters of diesel worth 900 euros out of the unlocked tank of a truck in a parking lot on the A72 near Neuensalz.

Thief recorded by camera

According to a spokeswoman, the Görlitz police department has not yet seen an increase in fuel thefts. One of the most notable cases was the theft of around 350 liters of diesel worth around 800 euros from two excavators in Neuwiese-Bergen, a district of Elsterheide (Bautzen district).

In another case, the police caught the 63-year-old perpetrator red-handed - he was filmed on a company site in the Schwarze Pumpe industrial park as he siphoned off diesel worth around 100 euros from a tank.

Dresden has also not recorded any anomalies. Fuel thefts are reported at intervals, but there has not been a significant increase, a spokesperson said.

In the state capital, for example, unknown persons stole a total of around 630 liters of diesel from three vehicles at a construction site on Rossendorfer Ring at the beginning of March. At another construction site in Neustadt, around 500 liters of diesel were siphoned off from a caterpillar and an excavator.

Construction sites a particularly frequent target for diesel thieves

Police advise preventive measures

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13,000 liters of diesel stolen from agricultural businesses

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