An organised gas theft network supplying illegally generated electricity to around 300 residential flats and 100 shops has been dismantled during a raid in Karachi, according to the spokesperson for Sui Southern Gas Company Limited.
The raid was conducted at Gulshan View Apartments on Abul Hasan Isphahani Road in Gulzar-e-Hijri, Scheme 33, by SSGC’s Counter Gas Theft Operations team, assisted by officials from the company’s Customer Relations and Distribution departments, as well as SSGC Police.
Officials said the suspects had been stealing natural gas to operate two large gas-powered generators, which were then used to supply electricity illegally across the apartment complex. During the raid, authorities recovered two 33-kilovolt-ampere gas generators and one 41.3-kilovolt-ampere generator.
According to the spokesperson, those behind the operation were charging consumers an advance payment of approximately Rs20,000, followed by a monthly fee of Rs2,000 for the illegal electricity supply.
A case has been registered against three suspects, identified as Rahmatullah, Hayat Masood and Saleem Masood. Authorities removed all illegal gas pipelines used in the theft and disconnected the unauthorised gas supply feeding the generators.
The spokesperson warned that the operation also uncovered large plastic bags filled with stolen gas that had been placed on rooftops. The company said the makeshift storage posed an extreme public safety risk, warning that the gas-filled bags could have exploded “like a bomb”, potentially causing widespread destruction.
SSGC has urged members of the public to report suspected cases of gas theft immediately, stressing that such activities not only result in financial losses but also pose a serious threat to public safety.
