Sui Southern Gas Company has intensified its operations against the nuisance of gas theft, one of the main causes behind the Company’s UFG or line losses, through its raids on domestic, commercial and industrial customers regularly.

Since its inception in 2017, under the banner of ‘Operation Grift’, SSGC’s Security Services and Counter Gas Theft Operations (SS &CGTO) Department has conducted 2,073 counter gas theft operations against industrial, commercial, domestic to commercial and bulk domestic registered customers and has carried out 4,173 direct theft operations against industrial and commercial unregistered consumers. Raids against various categories of customers are followed by aggressive prosecution, and those found guilty are convicted as per the Gas (Theft Control and Recovery) Act, 2016.

During this period, 731 FIRs were lodged against the gas thieves, against which around 230 individuals have been convicted. In addition, 380 criminal trials are in progress in specially created gas utility courts in Sindh and Balochistan. Of late, the Company has also intensified efforts to rein in industrial units running on illegal and dangerous suction boosters (compressors).

Continuous anti-gas theft measures have helped the Company recover Rs 6.1 billion from the gas thieves. These measures have also helped reduce the company’s total UFG from 17% to 14.26%, while in Karachi, UFG has slid from 13% to 9% after quite some time.

SSGC is fully determined to stay laser-focused in its war against gas theft and will continue showing no remorse towards theft culprits who have not just impacted the Company’s financial bottom line but have pilfered on the already fast-depleting gas reserves.