Officials say the people behind three similar cases of gas theft in Vancouver this month were playing with fire.
A 19-year-old and 18-year-old are both facing possible fraud charges after police discovered modified vans at two different gas stations this week.
The latest van, which was rigged with a 1,000-litre tank, was stopped Tuesday afternoon at a gas station on Oak Street and 41st Avenue.
“We discovered that the van had been altered to take the gas from the pump directly to a tank that was inside the van,” Const. Brian Montague said.
A hazmat crew was called in to process the scene.
Police also found fraudulent credit and debit cards inside the vehicle and arrested the 19-year-old person of interest.
An 18-year-old was arrested in a similar incident on Monday in which another van modified to carry 765 litres of fuel was pulled over at a gas station on Knight Street and 57th Avenue.
Officers seized more than 200 fraudulent credit and debit cards from that vehicle.
Both vans share similarities to one that exploded then crashed on Oak Street near 53rd Avenue Oct. 7. Police described the vehicle as a “mobile Molotov cocktail.”
“The vans are very similar, the tanks in the back are very similar,” Montague said.
Officials believe there’s a black market for stolen gas in the Lower Mainland – and that poses a very serious safety risk to the public.
“Anyone that wants to save some cash, the market is individuals that just want to put it into their personal vehicles,” Montague said. “They also have the ability to sell this to people that own businesses, that have a fleet of vehicles they need to run.”
Deputy Fire Chief Steve Laleune said an illegal gas theft ring is dangerous for everybody on the road.
“When you consider the tank is not anchored properly, as in the situation on Oak Street, it was the vapours inside the vehicle that actually ignited, you’ve pretty much got a bomb that’s ready to go off,” he said.
