Four men in Florida are said to have been arrested after placing a tool in petrol pumps that significantly lowers the prices of gas.
With gas prices climbing in the US and UK, many are attempting to find ways to cut the cost of fuel. However, four men took their efforts to new heights when they installed 'pulsators' in petrol pumps to curb the price.
Reportedly, the thefts took place at a Circle K convenience store in Lutz and Lakeland, Florida.
On March 10, Yordian Diaz-Benitez was arrested in Lutz, with Marlon Rosel-Rodriguez being arrested for attempting to place a device at the same station two days later on March 12.
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On the same day as Rosel-Rodriguez, Yulier Garcia-Martinez and Rogelio Llarena were arrested in Lakeland.
By now you're probably wondering how pulsators drop the price of fuel. Well, this is something Ned Bowman, President of the Florida Petroleum Marketers Association, explained.
"They go in and they change the pulsator. The pulsator is the device that is inside the gas pump that regulates the flow of the fuel" he explained, as per Stuff.
He continued to add that this enables the installer "to change the price of the fuel down to a nickel or a penny to the gallon and fill the back of their trucks up–their bladders or spare tanks–with fuel that’s basically free".
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Bowman went on to tell the New York Post that 'these are criminal rings' and 'I think you are going to see this expand'.
Nikki Fried of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services also weighed in on the issue, noting that they have a 'zero tolerance' policy for 'theft like this, or actual fraud'.
"And we’re going to come in and it’s a very clear symbol to anyone that may be thinking of doing something like this–we’re going to catch you", he added.
The news comes as reports of people drilling holes in car gas tanks to steal fuel emerged in Los Angeles.
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"There have been reports of people siphoning gas directly out of the tanks putting a hose down into the gas tank, sucking out", gas station technician Emery Shen noted.
Shen continued to add that there were reports of people 'drilling right in the gas tanks', as per Complex.
Fuel prices have continued to rise in recent weeks as the US and UK announced bans on Russian oil. The sanctions came in response to Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine.
If you would like to donate to the Red Cross Emergency Appeal, which will help provide food, medicines and basic medical supplies, shelter and water to those in Ukraine, click here for more information
Topics: US News, Money, World News, Ukraine, Russia