Caught Red-Handed: Fuel Truck Driver Steals Company Diesel, Transfers to Gallons, Sells at Cut Rates
A fuel truck driver and two accomplices were arrested in Khon Kaen while siphoning company diesel into containers for illegal resale at discounted prices. Police are investigating the wider network of buyers and middlemen involved in the fu
Police raid and arrest a fuel truck driver caught red-handed siphoning company diesel into gallon containers for resale at discounted prices. Officers are expanding the investigation to identify additional network members involved in the scheme.
May 19, 2025 — Lt. Col. Natthai Mongput, commander of Region 4's Fuel Crime Prevention Unit, led a coordinated raid with Region 4 officers and Ban Pai Police to apprehend a fuel truck driver and his accomplices while transferring diesel in a secluded forest area behind a highway rest stop in Khon Kaen province.
When police arrived and identified themselves, the three suspects—caught mid-transfer with hoses running from the truck to gallons—were startled. The suspects are Chinnarat ("Kan"), 38, a fuel truck driver; Bunlam ("Sek"), 38, a truck driver employed by a fuel buyer; and Suriyan, 39, an employee of the buyer. Police discovered 6 containers of transferred diesel (approximately 108 liters), 23 empty containers, the fuel truck, a pickup truck, a motorcycle with sidecar, mobile phones, and cash at the scene.
During initial questioning, the truck driver confessed to arranging diesel sales via phone with a middleman at 500 baht per 18-liter gallon. The middleman sent two associates with containers and a truck to collect the fuel, with plans to pay in cash later. The driver admitted to stealing fuel from this location twice before, making this the third occasion. The other two suspects initially denied involvement but later confessed to following the middleman's orders to assist with the transfer, stating they intended to use the diesel to refuel the buyer's commercial trucks.
Lt. Col. Natthai Mongput revealed that a prominent fuel transport company in Mukdahan province had noticed suspicious behavior and financial discrepancies with the truck driver. After close monitoring confirmed the driver was siphoning and reselling company fuel without authorization, the company alerted the Fuel Crime Prevention Unit and Special Operations Division, leading to today's raid. Police have filed charges and are expanding the investigation to identify the middleman and other buyers in the network.
