IN SHORT

• A 58-year-old man was arrested at a rural property on Kidman Way, Tharbogang on February 16, 2026 and charged with 11 counts of larceny after police allege he stole 544 litres of fuel from a bowser at a Hanwood property over five months.
• The Rural Crime Prevention Team says fuel theft is one of the most under-reported rural crimes in NSW, and is urging landowners to report suspicious activity — even if they believe no crime has been committed.
• Detective Chief Inspector Cameron Whiteside warned that criminals who steal fuel are often committing other crimes in the same area, and police need reports to be able to target offenders effectively.

A man has been charged with stealing more than 500 litres of fuel from a rural property near Griffith after police allege he returned to the same bowser eleven times over five months — and detectives say the case is far from unusual.

Officers attached to the NSW Rural Crime Prevention Team arrested a 58-year-old man at a rural property on Kidman Way, Tharbogang at about 7.35am on February 16. Police allege 544 litres of fuel, with an estimated value of nearly $1,100, was taken from a fuel bowser on a property in Hanwood between September 2025 and February 2026.

The man was taken to Griffith Police Station and charged with 11 counts of larceny with a value less than or equal to $2,000. He was granted conditional bail to appear in Griffith Local Court on Wednesday March 18.

Detective Chief Inspector Cameron Whiteside from the Rural Crime Prevention Team said the arrest highlighted a problem that was far bigger than any single case — and far bigger than most landowners realise.

"Fuel theft is one of the highest under-reported rural crime offences that is having a significant impact on rural landowners," he said. "The biggest challenge for police is that rural landowners are not reporting these matters."

Whiteside said there was a pattern investigators were seeing repeatedly. "Often criminals that steal fuel are committing other crimes in your area. To ensure the Rural Crime Prevention Team can target these offenders, police need to be aware of the crime or any suspicious activity."

The warning carries particular weight at a time when fuel prices across the Riverina and Far West have surged sharply, raising the value of on-farm fuel stores significantly. With bulk diesel now well above $2 a litre and supply disruptions affecting the region, the incentive for theft has only increased.

Police are encouraging all rural landowners who have noticed unexplained drops in fuel levels, unfamiliar vehicles on or near their properties, or any suspicious activity to come forward — even if they are not certain a crime has occurred.

Reports can be made online via the NSW Police Community Portal at portal.police.nsw.gov.au or by calling Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. In an emergency, call 000.