Oil thefts are taking place across the United States as gasoline prices soar.
Two men have been arrested on charges of stealing thousands of dollars worth of gasoline from a gas station in Virginia Beach, Virginia, according to CNN.
They entered the gas station that was closed, operated the gas station, posted an advertisement to sell gasoline at a low price through SNS, etc. and gathered customers to the gas station.
Police recognized that this gas station was not open during business hours and that many people were gathering to fill it up and started an investigation.
In St. Cloud, Florida, over 1,000 gallons of fuel (a gallon equals 3.78 liters) were stolen from a gas station.
In Las Vegas, Nevada, tens of thousands of gallons were stolen from gas stations using converted vehicles.
Several people were also arrested for fuel theft in Greenville, South Carolina, where authorities believe thousands of dollars of fuel had been stolen.
CNN reported that the thieves are not stealing a few gallons from vehicles, but are stealing thousands of dollars worth of fuel from gas stations and selling them on the black market.
As international oil prices rose rapidly, the average price of gasoline in the United States soared to exceed $5 per gallon for the first time ever.
President Biden is set to hold a meeting with oil company executives next week to discuss oil prices, accusing oil companies of taking huge profits by not increasing supply enough despite rising prices.
(Photo = Getty Images Korea)