Cases of motorists filling fuel and driving off without paying are on the increase in the Durban North policing precinct.

In the last two weeks, three cases in Durban North and uMhlanga have been reported at the station, confirmed Durban North police spokesperson, Captain Raymond Deokaran.

“In one of the incidents, a woman attempted to pay using her card for R100 worth of fuel. She told the petrol attendant there must be an issue with the card machine and said she would pay at the convenience store at the petrol station. However, this was not to be and she entered the store and exited without paying. While video footage of this incident was available, the vehicle was fitted with false number plates.

“In the other two incidents, amounting to R800 collectively, a similar tactic was employed. One of the drivers filled R500 worth of diesel and asked the petrol attendant if he could look for a container as he would like to purchase additional diesel to store. Once the attendant turned his back to the driver, he fled the scene without paying. In the other incident, the suspect said he would pay inside the shop attached to the petrol station, but entered the store, looked around and exited without paying,” Deokaran said.

Deokaran added that the details of the car’s make or registration were important in cases where no CCTV footage was available.

“It’s also important for staff to remember to always record the registration numbers of vehicles that fill up at the garage before customers are allowed to put fuel in their tanks,” he said.