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MULTAN: As many as 10 Multan Electric Power Company (MEPCO) officials from Gulgasht sub division were suspended from service on Thursday on charges of negligence after the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) unearthed electricity and gas theft of around Rs60 million in several raids.
FIA officials said that several illegal gas and electricity connections were discovered in guest houses and factories in Ghaziabad Colony.
Investigation revealed that a factory had been interfering with electricity meters using remote control. The factory was also supplying electronic chips across the country to disable meters.
Ten guest houses and four plastic factories were found to have made forged documents showing payment of electricity and gas bills.
Seven men were arrested in the raids and were taken to an undisclosed location.
FIA officials said they suspected involvement of officials of Multan Electric Power Company and Sui Northern Gal Pipelines Limited in the theft.
They said so far the theft by guest houses was estimated at Rs35 million and that by the factories over Rs4 million. They said FIRs had been registered against the owners of the guest houses and factories.
Irtaza Haider, the FIA focal person for south Punjab, told the Express Tribune that the recovery was the biggest in south Punjab this year.
He said though the meters were not out of order, the reading gauges had not been operating.
He said the crime was organsied in a way that it was difficult to track theft on technical grounds. He stressed the need for improving theft detection technologies.
He said keeping the confidentiality of raids to ensure that all criminals were arrested was a big challenge. He said over the last few months, the FIA had been informing local police about the target five minutes before the raid.
In another FIA raid, officials detected illegal gas connections at an engine oil manufacturing factory on Vehari Road.
Theft by the factory owners was estimated at Rs22 million. Three people were arrested. The mill owner escaped through a back gate.
Organised crime: Rs61m gas theft caught in Multan – The Express Tribune
FIA officials said that several illegal gas and electricity connections were discovered in guest houses and factories in Ghaziabad Colony.
Investigation revealed that a factory had been interfering with electricity meters using remote control. The factory was also supplying electronic chips across the country to disable meters.
Ten guest houses and four plastic factories were found to have made forged documents showing payment of electricity and gas bills.
Seven men were arrested in the raids and were taken to an undisclosed location.
FIA officials said they suspected involvement of officials of Multan Electric Power Company and Sui Northern Gal Pipelines Limited in the theft.
They said so far the theft by guest houses was estimated at Rs35 million and that by the factories over Rs4 million. They said FIRs had been registered against the owners of the guest houses and factories.
Irtaza Haider, the FIA focal person for south Punjab, told the Express Tribune that the recovery was the biggest in south Punjab this year.
He said though the meters were not out of order, the reading gauges had not been operating.
He said the crime was organsied in a way that it was difficult to track theft on technical grounds. He stressed the need for improving theft detection technologies.
He said keeping the confidentiality of raids to ensure that all criminals were arrested was a big challenge. He said over the last few months, the FIA had been informing local police about the target five minutes before the raid.
In another FIA raid, officials detected illegal gas connections at an engine oil manufacturing factory on Vehari Road.
Theft by the factory owners was estimated at Rs22 million. Three people were arrested. The mill owner escaped through a back gate.
Organised crime: Rs61m gas theft caught in Multan – The Express Tribune
