Stolen plates found
Vehicle owners should check their licence plates are securely fixed following reports of stolen plates being used to steal petrol in Porirua.
Two people have been summoned to court for their alleged involvement in the crime after police found a pair of plates in a stolen car outside a home in Porirua at about 1am on February 24.
Police allege the plates had been used to steal petrol on three consecutive occasions within a two-week period before they were found.
Drive-offs cost the petrol companies millions of dollars every year.
A police spokesperson said two people at the home were identified via CCTV as being responsible for the drive-offs.
People can potentially face criminal charges for receiving the stolen plates, for possessing them, and for the theft of whatever value of petrol they stole.
‘‘Police remind people to ensure their plates are securely fixed to their vehicles.’’
Officers were not aware of any black market existing to buy or sell the plates themselves.
Z Energy spokeswoman Georgina Ball said intentional and accidental drive-offs cost the company $2 million a year.
In 2016, the company spent $8m installing CCTV at its stations which automatically check licence plates to see if they have been associated with theft in the past.
The system aims to stop further theft, and to discourage it from starting.
Vehicles that drove-off without paying that can be linked to owners who forgot to pay for whatever reason were sent letters requesting payment.
Information regarding other incidents, for example if the car was stolen, was typically handed to police and deemed non-recoverable.