Two men have been arrested following a police investigation into a spate of cooking oil thefts across a county, a force has revealed. The men, aged 33 and 34, were both arrested on suspicion of going equipped for burglary, Cheshire Police said.
They were held after officers swooped on a car in Wilmslow in the early hours of Wednesday in what was described as a 'stop check'. Both men are from the Sheffield area and police said on Wednesday afternoon they remain in custody for questioning.
Police said the arrests follow an investigation 'into the theft of cooking oil across Cheshire'. No further details have been revealed, but the car was stopped on the A34 Ainslie Way at around 1.45am this morning.
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Global supply shortages have pushed many supermarkets to introduce restrictions on the purchase of cooking oils, with olive oil, sunflower oil and rapeseed oil now being rationed by stores including Tesco, Morrisons and Waitrose.
Even before the war in Ukraine, prices had been soaring as a result of factors including Covid-related staff shortages and poor harvests in South America. And with the price of fuel at the pumps rising to record highs, police have warned of a nationwide increase in the theft of cooking oil for resale or to create unregulated biodiesel that can be used as fuel for diesel engines as a direct replacement or to blend with regular diesel.
In an alert issued before the arrests were made, Cheshire Police said: "Due to an increase in fuel prices there has been new crime trend developing of theft of cooking oil. Cheshire Police are asking all restaurants, takeaways and public houses to lock there oil drums away from thieves."
In a statement, Cheshire Police said: "Two men have been arrested following a stop check on a car in Wilmslow. At around 1.45am on Wednesday 25 May, officers stopped a car on the A34 Ainslie Way.
"A 33-year-old and 34-year-old man, both from Sheffield, were arrested on suspicion of going equipped for burglary. They remain in custody assisting police with their enquiries. The arrests follow an investigation into the theft of cooking oil across Cheshire."
