Tunnelling thieves stole gas worth over a billion

HARIPUR: Federal sleuths swooped down on a factory on the outskirts of Haripur and caught two men who had dug huge tunnels to steal gas and electricity.

The volume of theft has been estimated by the gas utility at around Rs12 billion.

Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials and local police acting on the complaint of Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) raided a chemical factory in Hattar Industrial Zone to unearth a 600-metre long tunnel built to steal gas from main pipeline.

FIA Deputy Director Naeemullah Khan said factory owner, Fazal Wahid and his accomplice Irfan Khan had excavated 300 feet underground and built a spacious tunnel to lay a six inch and a nine inch pipeline connecting with main supply of gas.

“The tunnel had blowers for oxygen supply, bracket fans and lights,” Naeem said.

Villagers around the area had been complaining of erratic gas supply. In winter, particularly, these people were left freezing as Wahid stole gas to run his factory, the deputy director said.

People have termed the gas theft case a mega-scandal. “Hattar is not a desert or tribal area in the mountains. How can officials be unaware of people digging tunnels with the help of excavators, laying illegal pipelines and stealing gas so openly,” a citizen said.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 7^th, 2017.