SSGC continued to tighten the noose on gas theft in its franchise provinces of Sindh and Balochistan through raids in numerous  residential areas and commercial set-ups.  Owner Latif of Al-Raziq Pakwan Hotel in Gulistan-e-Jauhar was arrested for running his business by using gas directly from SSGC’s service line, following a raid undertaken by Security Services and Counter Gas Theft Operation (SS & CGTO) Wing.  Total connecting load was estimated at 1,285 cft / hr.  FIRs were lodged against Latif and accomplice Shafqat by SSGC Police and theft claims are being raised accordingly to recover losses incurred by pilferage.

In fresh operations, more than 540 illegal connections were removed across various cities and towns by SSGC’s gas theft control teams. SS & CGTO Operation Wing, Karachi raided guest houses in Clifton, Karachi and disconnected 9  domestic meters that were being used for commercial activities. Theft claims are being raised.

In Karachi, the Customer Relations’ Department’s theft control teams removed 342 illegal domestic underground and overhead connections in Maymar, Gulistan-e-Johar,  Korangi, Ismail Panwar Goth, Landhi and adjoining areas.  In Ismail Panwar Goth alone some 250 illegal connections were dismantled. In  majority of the cases, residents had illegally extended gas connections that were dismantled in swift operations. Service lines were also killed by the raiding  teams to prevent any further unauthorized use.  Summarily, theft claims are being raised.  

Meanwhile in upper and lower  Balochistan, crackdown against gas theft miscreants continued with removal of around 140 more illegal gas connections in Quetta and adjoining areas.  A joint raid targeting domestic customers was undertaken in Sariab Zone that resulted in disconnection of 92 illegal connections and removal of 12 fake meters in two housing societies. Theft claims are being raised. In the cantonment area  in Quetta,  10 more fake meters and 24 illegal overhead connections  were removed during an operation. 24 more residential illegal connections were also removed in Samungali zone.

Raids were also conducted by SSGC’s theft control teams on houses involved in underground and  overhead theft in Latifabad, Hyderabad where crackdown against the miscreants revealed culprits stealing gas through a huge underground network of rubber pipes to feed more than 40 residences. Two clamps were removed and the 8″ dia. feeder main was repaired during the operation. Meanwhile, in Nawabshah and Larkana regions 15 illegal connections were removed following fresh raids on underground and overhead domestic theft. Theft clamps and rubber pipes used in pilferage were removed. Consequently, theft claims are being raised in all the above cases.

Strict monitoring and vigilance of the gas theft infested areas are being conducted to prevent repeated cases of pilferage.

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.