by Marc Horne (The Times) Cross-border gangs are stealing cooking oil in a unlikely crimewave stoked by the energy crisis. Police Scotland raised concerns after chip shops, other takeawaysand restaurants were targeted by thieves stealing oil to sell on the black market as a biofuel for vehicles. Olleco, which legitimately collects used cooking oil from commercial premises, has lost an estimated £16 million of business because of the thefts. Much of the oil ends up in tankers bound for the Continent.
Inspector Alan Dron, Scotland’s national rural crime co-ordinator, told The Scottish Mail on Sunday: “We’re talking serious organised crime here with gangs from all parts of the UK working together, often in a pincer movement, to target specific areas at the one time for maximum gain. READ MORE