Police in Hellertown, Northampton County, are investigating a suspected theft ring targeting used cooking oil from multiple businesses in the Lehigh Valley and surrounding areas, including Whitehall, Reading, and Bucks County. Hellertown Police Chief James Baitinger said the thefts, while seemingly unusual, are a recurring issue.Equipment malfunction leads to major oil spillOne incident even resulted in a messy situation when the thieves’ equipment malfunctioned during their getaway, causing a large oil spill across several busy roadways. “The actors did hit one of our restaurants. Then they were trying to hit a second restaurant and they clearly had a malfunction with their equipment and caused a large oil spill on some of our roadways,” Baitinger said. Cleanup crews responded to roadway damage concernsPublic works, fire crews, and PennDOT worked to clear the roads, but police noted that oil can permeate asphalt and potentially ruin the road over time.Photos from the scene show sand spread over the affected areas. Thieves use trucks and siphon equipment to steal oilRestaurants typically store used cooking oil in outdoor containers, which are later collected by specialized companies. However, thieves often target these containers themselves. “They go in with siphon machines and they have big trucks. A lot of times it’s just a van or like a box truck, where they have a bladder in the back and they just pump the oil right in there,” Baitinger said. “It is something that occurs frequently. It doesn’t matter where it is, they’re hitting.” Stolen oil has real market valueUsed cooking oil, often referred to as “liquid gold,” can be recycled and filtered for use in biodiesel engines.A 30-gallon container of oil can be worth $150, and experts say about 70% of biodiesel produced in the United Kingdom is made from used cooking oil. No arrests have been made in connection with these thefts.
Police in Hellertown, Northampton County, are investigating a suspected theft ring targeting used cooking oil from multiple businesses in the Lehigh Valley and surrounding areas, including Whitehall, Reading, and Bucks County.
Hellertown Police Chief James Baitinger said the thefts, while seemingly unusual, are a recurring issue.
Equipment malfunction leads to major oil spill
One incident even resulted in a messy situation when the thieves’ equipment malfunctioned during their getaway, causing a large oil spill across several busy roadways.
Hearst OwnedHellertown Police Department
Hearst OwnedHellertown Police Department
“The actors did hit one of our restaurants. Then they were trying to hit a second restaurant and they clearly had a malfunction with their equipment and caused a large oil spill on some of our roadways,” Baitinger said.
Cleanup crews responded to roadway damage concerns
Public works, fire crews, and PennDOT worked to clear the roads, but police noted that oil can permeate asphalt and potentially ruin the road over time.
Photos from the scene show sand spread over the affected areas.
Thieves use trucks and siphon equipment to steal oil
Restaurants typically store used cooking oil in outdoor containers, which are later collected by specialized companies. However, thieves often target these containers themselves.
“They go in with siphon machines and they have big trucks. A lot of times it’s just a van or like a box truck, where they have a bladder in the back and they just pump the oil right in there,” Baitinger said. “It is something that occurs frequently. It doesn’t matter where it is, they’re hitting.”
Stolen oil has real market value
Used cooking oil, often referred to as “liquid gold,” can be recycled and filtered for use in biodiesel engines.
A 30-gallon container of oil can be worth $150, and experts say about 70% of biodiesel produced in the United Kingdom is made from used cooking oil.
No arrests have been made in connection with these thefts.