Thieves in Soulard, Missouri have found a way to combat rising gas prices – they’re stealing cooking grease.

Local KMOV.com of St Louis reports that two 21-year-olds, Landon Thomas and Byron Aston, were recently charged after breaking into two local restaurants and robbing their supplies of sludge. The thefts are part of a wider national trend, as stolen grease can be converted into valuable biodiesel fuel.

The first incident occurred at Tucker’s Place in Soulard on March 24, where grease is stored at the back of the restaurant in a so-called grease trap. Just after closing time, the thieves are said to have pulled up in a truck and siphoned hundreds of gallons of grease by way of a hosepipe.

Moving on to nearby McGurk’s Irish Pub and Garden the thieves - whom authorities have said will make their way from as far away as Springfield, Missouri to get their hands on the grease - performed the same stunt. Local restaurant owners are now said to be placing locks on their grease traps.

Here's some raw footage on the story: