Dumb Or Desperate? MN Thieves Are Now Drilling Holes In Car Gas Tanks

With most of Minnesota's regular unleaded gas now above $4/gal and diesel more than $5.30/gal, it seems what's in your gas tank is now being targeted by thieves. A Twin Cities television station was reporting that Twin Cities residents have been dealing with gas thieves, not just from the pump, but from their own car's gas tank.

Drilling Holes In People's Gas Tanks

WCCO's Reg Chapman recently reported on one Twin Cities automotive shop that had 4 vehicles brought in with holes drilled into the cars' gas tanks to access the fuel inside.

St. Paul Police have received 6 different complaints of holes being drilled into residents' gas tanks, with the fuel then drained from the vehicle. Thieves are targeting vehicles that have been parked outside overnight, making this more of a crime of opportunity than anything else.

Dangerous To Drill Into A Gas Tank

The thieves are playing a dangerous game when drilling holes into motorists' gas tanks, as cordless drills can generate internal sparks within their motors, especially when stopping. These sparks can easily ignite gasoline fumes.

Get our free mobile app

On top of that, most vehicle gas tanks are slightly pressurized, meaning when you drill into them, there is also an environmental risk to getting gas everywhere, and not just in the next container.

What Do The Thieves Do With The Gas?

In most cases, it is most likely individuals who are stealing the gas and then using it in their own vehicles, but there may also be a larger game at play with black market gas being sold to motorists.

How Can You Prevent Being A Victim Of Gas Theft?

The best thing you can do is park your vehicle inside a locked garage at night, making your vehicle hard to access. If that isn't an option, parking in a well-lit area within sight of a doorbell camera might be your next best bet, allowing you to hopefully capture the thieves if they show up at your place.

READ MORE FROM PAUL SHEA