Inverness seeing 'strange' rise in theft of cooking oil

A “strange trend” of a rise in cooking oil theft noted in an Inverness police report has been explained by the area’s chief inspector.

The report was discussed at the city of Inverness area committee meeting.

Councillor David Gregg (Inverness Millburn, Liberal Democrats) asked chief inspector Craig Still to provide more detail on the oil thefts noted in the report.

Chief Inspector Still said it was a “strange trend”, explaining offenders often targeted businesses that had left their waste oil out for collection, with victims including some Inverness restaurants.

He added: “It would appear to be perpetrated by individuals based elsewhere in the country. We have found that they tend to be of Eastern European origin.

“They (perpetrators) will then take that cooking oil and sell it for recycling themselves, either through a legitimate contact or other means.”

Despite the recorded rise in offences, chief inspector Still assured councillors it was one they have been able to successfully target, with several individuals stopped on the road by local units.

The trend was noted in the report as one reason for the increase in common theft, with “petrol drive-offs” also noted.

Reports of common theft have remained steady in the Inverness area since 2020/21, with numbers peaking in 2021/22 at 525.

Figures have since come down to 305 for the year 2024/25, but the report states as a whole that the Highlands and Islands has seen an “increase in recent months”.

The Inverness command area reported 273 common theft crimes from April to December 2025.