SEATTLE – Gasoline thieves are going for more than just a tank of fuel. A man in California has been arrested for stealing 20,000 gallons of fuel from 15 retailers, while a man in Richmond, Texas, has been arrested for stealing 1,400 gallons of diesel from two underground storage tanks.

Although many convenience and petroleum retailers are requiring customers to pre-pay, “thieves find creative ways to steal gasoline, whether it’s by rigging gas pumps or breaking into underground storage tanks, police and industry experts say,” writes the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

The California man pilfered gasoline from 15 gas stations by rigging the pumps and then resold the fuel to his friends at a discount.

When gasoline prices rise, police say gasoline thefts become more top of mind. “The stuff is like liquid gold. Of course people are going to be stealing it more,” King County Sheriff's Sgt. John Urquhart told the newspaper.

In Richmond, Texas, authorities arrested a man for stealing 1,400 gallons of diesel fuel from underground storage tanks at two gas stations, writes the Houston Chronicle.

NACS spokesman Jeff Lenard told the newspaper that a typical store sees about 400 fill-ups a day, and that on average, about every three days a store will experience a gasoline theft. He explained that if a retailer is making a profit if one cent per gallon, a $60 theft means the retailer will need to sell 6,000 gallons of fuel to make up the loss. “Your whole profit margin for the day just drove away,” he said.

Rick Johnson, president of the Texas Grocery and Convenience Association, told the newspaper that the best way for retailers to deter gasoline theft is to require pre-pay at the pump. “A lot of stores are starting to change procedures to require prepay,” he said.