A spate of brazen fuel thefts has seen vehicle petrol tanks drilled and drained in Whangamatā, causing thousands of dollars worth of damage and stealing precious fuel.
Police confirm petrol has been stolen from vehicles around the town, located on the southeast coast of the Coromandel Peninsula. In a statement, they say the culprit appears to be using a drill to tap into the bottom of the vehicle's petrol tanks in order to drain the fuel.
Petrol has been the predominant target, but there was one incident where a diesel vehicle was drained.
Police say they are working to identify any possible offenders and urge anyone with information to contact the Whangamatā Police Station.
This comes just after a huge spike in fuel prices on Friday that saw many Kiwis rush to fill up their tanks before most petrol stations started charging more than $3 per litre.
To combat increasing prices the Government announced a tax reduction that came into effect on Tuesday, cutting 25 cents off per litre of fuel for an initial three months.
However, many Kiwis are calling for the Government to do more to ease the rising cost of living.
