Three men have been charged in connection with a string of alleged thefts of used cooking oil across the north-east and Tayside.
The three men, aged 21, 32, and 51-years-old, are due to appear at Aberdeen Sheriff Court today over the alleged incidents between Thursday March 10 and yesterday.
The arrests came after the Press and Journal reported that five hotels and restaurants in Aberdeenshire have been targeted in recent weeks.
Detective Constable Lewis Ingram said: “Our enquiries into these incidents remain ongoing and I would encourage anyone who believes they may have been the victim of a theft to report it”.
Cooking oil made into bio-diesel
They included four in Stonehaven and one in Aboyne.
Although used cooking oil is a waste product, it can be valuable to businesses.
Hospitality firms receive quantities of fresh cooking oil in exchange for used oil, which companies then take away to process into bio-fuel.
Criminals are cashing in on the lucrative practice as they take advantage of diesel prices continuing to rocket.
Pc Mike Urquhart said the north-east division is “seeing an increase in used cooking oil theft from hotels, restaurants and fast-food outlets”.
Used cooking oil thieves are striking everywhere across Scotland, according to the crime reduction officer.
He added: “A lot of people think ‘what’s the harm in it because they’re stealing something that most companies would have to pay to get rid of anyway?’
“But they’re defrauding the legitimate companies as well as subsidising other areas of criminality that they’re involved in.”
Police Scotland urged anyone with information to contact the force by phoning 101.
