00:00Why are criminals stealing cooking oil?
00:06Back in February, Police Scotland identified an unusual trend, a sharp rise in cooking oil thefts.
00:13The increase was noted at a recent police report as one reason for the surge in common thefts.
00:20The Inverness Command Area reported 273 common theft crimes from April to December in 2025.
00:30But the report states that as a whole, the Highlands and Islands in particular has seen an increase in recent
00:36months.
00:37This footage shows a cooking oil thief targeting a local fish and chip shop, where used sunflower oil had been
00:44stolen from its bin.
00:46The robbery came just minutes after the owner read a Facebook post about an increase in cooking oil theft, prompting
00:53him to check his CCTV.
00:55Police are now warning Highland residents about the increase in oil thefts, and are encouraging people to lock up their
01:02tanks and install CCTV.
01:05So why cooking oil?
01:07Unlicensed biodiesel.
01:09An illegal and unregulated product, typically made from used cooking oils, that is now pouring into black markets.
01:19Often produced without following strict regulations and safety standards, it can pose potential risks to engines and the environment.
01:27In some cases, organised crime gangs steal the oil to produce this illegal biodiesel, often selling it to unsuspecting processing
01:36plants.
01:37This rise in crime in the Highlands, and across Scotland, is in part due to the increasing fuel prices.
01:44Domestic heating oil, petrol, diesel and commercial fuels have become more in demand as a result of the ongoing conflicts
01:51in the Middle East.
01:55Cooking oil, once kitchen waste, has now become a high value commodity, making it a target to criminals, and this
02:03trend may only continue.
02:04Football being too confused.
02:09Osset Lupus, the
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