A Queensland man has allegedly spent the past year running what could generously be described as a one-man, cut-price fuel empire – though police say it was built less on business acumen and more on stolen cards and a remarkable appetite for diesel.
The 48-year-old is accused of siphoning off more than $1.1 million worth of fuel from unmanned depots across Brisbane’s southern and western suburbs between December 2024 and December 2025.
According to police, the alleged spree targeted depots in Parkinson, Bundamba and Karawatha, where unattended bowsers proved too tempting to resist. Authorities claim the man used stolen fuel cards to fill up again and again, apparently subscribing to the bold strategy that if you keep going long enough, no one will notice a missing million dollars’ worth of diesel.
That theory unravelled on March 24, when officers raided a Greenbank property and discovered evidence of the fuel thefts, along with other stolen goods and – because every amateur operation needs a quirky detail – a homemade taser.
Police have since charged the man with a string of offences, including fraud exceeding $100,000, receiving tainted property, entering premises to commit indictable offences and unlawful possession of weapons. In short: not exactly the kind of loyalty program most service stations are running.
He was remanded in custody following a court appearance earlier in March and is due back before the courts on May 15.
Acting Detective Inspector Justin Anderson offered a stern reminder in the wake of the arrest, noting that theft – whether it’s a single tank or, say, enough diesel to keep a small trucking company afloat – tends to end the same way: before a judge.
“Whether it’s one tank of fuel or a large-scale diesel fraud, stealing is an offence which can land you before the court,” he said.
A message, perhaps, for anyone else considering turning unattended fuel depots into their personal pit lane: even in a cost-of-living crisis, there are limits to bulk buying.
Images: Queensland Police
