Samantha Pignon, chef at La Cave D’Hippolyte in Lesquin (Nord), uses her sunflower oil to cook her fries. Three months ago, as usual, she transferred the used liquid to large tanks at the back of the restaurant to be recycled. But when it’s time to pour it, she has a surprise. The barrel is open and empty. The theft repeats itself every week. People ship the oil without being worried. And one morning, the restaurateur surprised them. A track is being considered. Thieves could resell this oil to recycling companies that turn it into biofuel. With rising prices, used oil is more valuable today. The can is worth 60 euros. That’s almost double the price in a year. A real shortfall for Henry Cretel, manager of La Fritière de la Clarence in Lapugnoy (Pas-de-Calais), also the victim of this theft. In the neighboring town, in Bruay-la-Buissière, another establishment was the victim of used oil theft two weeks ago. François Cozette, the manager, had just installed barriers to secure the place where the liquid is stored. Several investigations have been opened to identify the perpetrators. In 2021, a network had been dismantled. The thieves resold the oil to companies specializing in the transformation into biofuel. T F1 | Report V. Lahmaut, M. Fiat, G. Delobette.
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