Thieves in Metro Atlanta are stealing something they call "Liquid Gold" – used cooking oil – from restaurants, causing harm to both restaurant owners and the environment. Surveillance videos have captured criminals using a white truck to siphon off the cooking oil from restaurants, and spills from these thefts have caused accidents on the roads and even threatened the water supply.
One incident involved a 17-year-old girl whose motorcycle skidded on a patch of cooking oil spilled by thieves. Fortunately, she only suffered a scraped knee, but the incident highlights the dangers posed by this crime. The oil thefts have been going on for years, but the situation has recently worsened.
Restaurants usually have containers to collect the used cooking oil, and thieves cut the locks off these containers and use hoses to steal the oil. The stolen oil is then sold to recycling companies, but the thieves aren't making much money from it. One restaurant, Pig and Chick, reported receiving checks for as little as $12 due to frequent thefts, which are particularly common during the night.
The stolen cooking oil has various uses, such as being turned into fuel, or being used in livestock feed and pet food. However, in the wrong hands, it creates expensive and messy problems. Thieves often spill the oil during their thefts, leading to clogged water systems and expensive clean-up operations.
Thankfully, law enforcement has been making efforts to catch these thieves. Some individuals have been caught and charged with theft, but authorities are also uncovering organized theft rings that are responsible for a significant portion of oil thefts. The National Renderers Association estimates that up to $75 million worth of used cooking oil is stolen annually.
Source: Youtube
