KARACHI: One such gang involved in what can be considered to be one of the most daring and hazardous acts of utility thefts has been apprehended in Karachi. The authorities of the Sui Southern Gas Company conducted an operation in the Gulzar Hijri locality where three people were caught stealing gas, filling it into plastic containers kept atop roofs and using it to supply electricity through generators to around 300 apartments and 100 shops.
The Karachi gas theft wasn’t a small-time scam; it was an organized, paid service that charged residents Rs20,000 up front and then Rs2,000 per month for illegally acquired electricity – an entirely illegal business that relied on stolen public utility assets. And it was sitting on top of buildings, in plastic bags, one spark away from disaster.
Working of the Racket
Details regarding the workings of Karachi gas theft are as follows:
- Unauthorised persons tapped into the SSGC gas pipelines and diverted the gas flow from the main pipeline to other locations
- This stolen gas was then put in plastic bags and kept on rooftops where there is absolutely no safety regarding the containment of the gas
- These gas bags were connected to three gas generators, two generators of 33 KVA capacity and one generator of 41.3 KVA capacity
- Electricity thus generated was illegally supplied to about 300 residential units and 100 commercial units of the housing society
- A payment of Rs20,000 in advance and Rs2,000 per month was charged by the accused persons
Explosive Threat People Knew Nothing About
Not only was the Karachi gas theft electricity scam an act of stealing from SSGC and the government, but it also posed an immediate danger to the lives of everyone living in that apartment building, of which they were probably unaware.
“The gas, compressed in large bags and placed on rooftops, might have burst like a bomb and wreaked havoc.”
Sui Southern Gas Company officials
Natural gas packed into open plastic bags, mounted on rooftops and subjected to the effects of heat, physical stress, and the vibration from generators, is an improvised explosive device with a good deal of explosive capability. A mere puncture, a spark from the generators, or pressure caused by heat could have caused an explosion powerful enough to bring down several floors of the building, thus harming many people.
These 300 families living in the flats were paying Rs2,000 each month for their electricity produced from a bomb that was hanging over their heads. This was something that they had a right to know about.
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A Symptom of the Utility Crisis in Karachi
The electricity gas robbery racket in Karachi highlights the trend that all the utility companies in Pakistan are increasingly being faced with, where when official utilities prove to be unstable or costly, then it’s the informal market that steps up and in some cases, the informal market uses illegal methods.
The electricity of Karachi has been marred with instances of load-shedding, billing problems, and breakdowns, which have led to citizens, especially in crowded housing societies, not getting electricity at all for most of their time in a day. To that problem, comes the solution in form of this racket offering stable electricity without any KESC/K-Electric hassle.
Nayab Fatima is a media professional specializing in fact-based journalism, research, and analytical reporting on technology, telecom, aviation, and automobiles.
