Fuelled by opportunity, a driver, 28, and his assistant, 24, allegedly fell into the habit of siphoning diesel from beer trucks they drove from Sihanoukville to the capital.

But it all came to an abrupt halt when police caught them in the act in Phnom Penh’s Sen Sok district on Sunday, following a tip-off from the men’s boss, who suspected the delivery team had been churning through too much fuel.

The suspects denied the allegations, while police noted that many roadside vendors buy diesel siphoned from trucks. KOH SANTEPHEAP