A trail of diesel spilled along a West Auckland road led police to the arrest of a man accused of stealing fuel from a construction site overnight.
Police were notified of two people at a construction site on Victory Rd in Laingholm at around 3.20am on Friday.
Waitematā West area response manager Senior Sergeant Jon Winthrop said the pair were seen removing fuel from a digger parked on the roadside and filling up petrol cans before fleeing the scene.
Officers responded quickly and followed a trail of diesel away from the site, which led them to a nearby man. He was arrested and charged with burglary.
Police inquiries were ongoing and further arrests were not ruled out.
Winthrop said fuel offending was a "blight on everyone in the community" and urged residents to report suspicious activity immediately.
"Anyone who is thinking of stealing fuel or vehicles should take this as a warning - we will act immediately and use our resources to find and prosecute anyone involved."
A 35-year-old man will appear in Waitākere District Court on May 8.
Police said there had not been a notable rise in fuel-related crime yet, but a senior officer has warned that when there was a supply issue, illegal behaviour could follow. (Source: 1News)
Fuel thefts on the rise
Fuel thefts have been rising around the country since petrol and diesel prices surged following the escalation of conflict involving Iran, which has rattled global energy markets and pushed up wholesale fuel costs.
Late last month, police said fuel-related offending had risen sharply nationwide, with more than 370 charges laid between March 2 and April 24 for petrol drive-offs and burglaries targeting diesel.
Assistant Commissioner road policing and district support Tusha Penny said diesel burglary had increased from about 20 offences a week in early March to more than 50 a week in April, with some incidents involving more than 1000 litres taken.
"At the same time there has also been an increase in petrol drive offs. On average, since the week ending 1 March 2026, there had been 100 more petrol drive offs reported to Police each week. This represents a 28% increase over this time period."
Recent cases have ranged from 200 litres siphoned from a digger at a volunteer bike park to about 3000 litres stolen from a Marton business in a pre-dawn raid, with offenders turning up equipped with pumps, containers and trailers.
Police have also made arrests after thefts in Waikato, Christchurch, Hamilton and Southland, where hundreds of litres of fuel were taken from businesses and rural properties, often causing significant disruption and cost to victims.
The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including a man’s arrested after the abduction and death of a young girl in Australia, and new road safety warnings amid a spike in deaths. (Source: 1News)
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