KARACHI: SSGC’s Security Services and Counter Gas Theft Operations (SS & CGTO) team continued to make major inroads against the menace of gas theft in the commercial units by conducting several raids that led to three arrests.
SS & CGTO, along with SSGC Police and the Company’s Recovery Department team, conducted raids on a sweet shop, dupatta dyeing factory and a marriage lawn in New Karachi, Korangi and Shah Faisal Colony, respectively and apprehended their owners for using gas directly from the service lines. Total connecting load of the three raids was 807 cft/hr.
SSGC Police filed FIR against Omer Hayat, Arsalan Mirza and Altaf Bhatti before arresting them. Appropriate claims are also being raised in all the three cases of commercial theft for the recovery of losses incurred.
Meanwhile in fresh operations, around 7,870 illegal domestic connections were removed in different cities and towns by the Company’s theft control teams. In a major domestic raid conducted by the theft control team of the Company’s Customer Relations Department (CRD) Team in Gadap Town, around 7,000 illegal connections were dismantled. Claims are being raised.
In other Karachi areas including Malir, Lyari, Essa Nagri, Surjani Town, DHA, Mehmoodabad, Scheme-33 and PIB Colony, around 610 illegal domestic connections were removed. In the pilferage cases, residents had illegally extended gas connections that were dismantled during the raids. Theft claims are being raised accordingly.
Raids were also conducted by SSGC's theft control teams on houses involved in underground and overhead theft in Nawabshah, Dadu and Larkana regions, with the removal of 20 illegal domestic connections. Theft clamps and rubber pipes used in pilferage were removed by the reading teams.
Consequently, theft claims are being raised. Meanwhile in Hyderabad, SS & CGTO, CRD and Distribution teams jointly conducted raids in two laundries in Qasimabad and dismantled the illegal connections. FIRs are being lodged.
Meanwhile, in upper and lower Balochistan, crackdown against gas theft miscreants continued with removal of 240 overhead and underground illegal gas connections in Quetta, Kalat and Dera Allayar region.
More than 5 fake meters were found that were also disconnected. In addition, clamps and rubber pipes used in gas theft were removed and confiscated by the theft control teams. Theft claims are also being raised.
In the meantime, strict monitoring and vigilance of the gas theft infested areas will be ensured to prevent repeated cases of pilferage in the residential neighbourhoods of the above-mentioned cities.
SSGC is laser focused towards controlling the menace of gas theft through regular raids and aggressive prosecution. Gas theft is one of the major reasons behind Unaccounted-for-Gas (UFG) or line losses being incurred by SSGC.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024