Overview
- Police reported fresh incidents in Baden-Württemberg, including a 300‑liter bin taken from a Giengen restaurant and larger volumes in Heidenheim, with recent cases also in Sindelfingen and Ludwigsburg.
- In Hockenheim, officers seized 12 barrels of old fat, while police in Siegburg detained a father and son suspected of removing fryer oil from an eatery.
- The BDE reports a sharp rise since 2022, with more than 7,000 cases filed nationwide in 2023 and many investigations later closed as minor offenses.
- SR reporting cites surveillance footage of thieves pumping containers or hauling away whole drums from backyards, with some in the sector referring to an “Altfett‑Mafia.”
- Thefts are linked to a cash black market that moves uncertified material, often toward the Netherlands, with prices reported up to about €900 per tonne.