NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – A three-year investigation by undercover agents with the 18th Judicial Drug Task Force (JDTF) reveals a crime syndicate of thieves from China stealing used cooking oil from restaurants across the Mid-South.
This little thought of commodity has a large resale value to recycling companies that turn the old oil into other products, including biodiesel and clean burning fuels for automobiles and homes.
Most restaurants store their used oil in tanks behind their businesses. They usually contract with legitimate companies that extract the oil and pay the restaurant for the product based on weight.
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A restaurant might not even realize they have been victimized if they don’t monitor their video surveillance systems or check their storage containers regularly.
According to agents with the 18th JDTF, the thieves have been driving to these businesses in unmarked box trucks …