Qld cops reveal surprising drive-off detail as pain at the pump increases
With petrol and diesel prices soaring, Queensland Police have revealed how many drivers are being reported for alleged fuel thefts each day.
As soaring petrol prices drive motorists to breaking point, Queensland Police have revealed a surprising detail in their drive-off statistics.
In the period January 1, 2026, to March 18, 2026, 8004 thefts were recorded, compared to 7946 at the same time last year.
That number equates to more than 100 reported thefts every day, as the cost-of-living crisis bites.
But the figure represented “no meaningful change – less than 1 per cent in reported thefts involving fuel” compared to the previous year, according to police.
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“Crime trends, including fuel theft, can fluctuate over time and can be influenced by a range of contributing factors,” they said.
“The QPS remains committed to working collaboratively with stakeholders, including local businesses, to implement effective prevention and disruption strategies, whilst also triaging, and when necessary prioritising investigations to hold those responsible, accountable for their actions.”
But Queensland, where petrol has topped $250 a litre and diesel is more than $3, is the exception, not the rule.
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This week, Australasian Convenience and Petroleum Marketers Association’s chief executive officer Rowan Lee said fuel theft from service stations had increased by between 8–30 per cent nationally since the start of the Middle East war.
In SA, police reported a 37 per cent rise in fuel thefts this month: 221 fuel thefts in the week ending March 15, up from 162 the week before.
SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said the number included “a significant increase in the rate of first offenders”.
“A substantial number of people — 97 — have done it [for] what we would describe as the first time,” he told 891 ABC Adelaide.
Stevens also warned his officers may have to stop investigating drive-off thefts at service stations, unless pre-paid pumps were urgently introduced to stop the “completely preventable” crime.
Energy Minister Chris Bowen called it a vital intervention to help Australians secure petrol, diesel and crude oil shipments that showed the government was “one step ahead” of the crisis.
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