How Sneaky Texas Crooks Stole Fuel Using Trap Door Under Minivan

When the thought of a thief, or criminal, pops up in most of our heads, we tend to imagine some bumbling buffoon, but that's not the case with these Texas crooks.

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With fuel prices at record highs across the country, those who live life outside the boundaries of the law, are taking things into their own hands.

In a story from Click2Houston.com, we see just how ingenious these alleged crooks have gotten to steal thousands of dollars in diesel fuel from one family owned gas station in the southwest Houston area.  It's almost like they stole a page from a James Bond movie!

How Did The Thieves Pull This Off?

Jerry Thayil, the manager at the Fuqua Express gas station, says that he believes the alleged thieves used some type of trap door in the floor of a minivan to pull off the caper.

He states that, as the security video illustrates, there was a number of times were the van was spotted, parked over the fuel tanks in the store's parking lot.

It's believed the thieves would open the trap door of the van, open the top of the fuel tank, lower a hose into the tank, and literally siphon or pump out diesel fuel into a tank or container inside the van, essentially undetected.

How Much Did They Get Away With?

He claims the thieves made off with approximately 350 gallons of diesel each day for three consecutive days.  The total loss is estimated at more than $6,000.