Millions of rupees worth of brace plates have been stolen from the National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC) high-tension power lines in Jamshoro, Matiari, and Dadu. The thefts caused hours-long power outages in the affected areas, with supply restored only after extensive repair work.
Separate FIRs have been registered at the Khanoot and Coal Mine police stations by NTDC Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) Rizwan Abbasi. According to the FIRs, thieves targeted several transmission towers.
In the complaint at Khanoot police station, it was reported that 168 brace plates, 336 nut bolts, and three conductors were stolen from the Dadu circuit line near Jamshoro.
Similarly, the FIR at Coal Mine police station detailed the theft of 800 brace plates and 2,400 nut bolts from eight towers of a 500-kV power line under construction between tower numbers 53 and 59 from Jamshoro to Matiari.
Six suspects, identified as Sabir Khoso, Akbar Khoso, Pappu Khaskhaili, Jhandu Khan Khoso, Feroz Khoso, and Rozo Khan Khoso, have been nominated in one of the cases. However, no arrests have been made so far.
The stolen brace plates are valued between Rs1.5 million and Rs2 million.
This incident highlights a broader issue, as over 30 similar cases of brace plate theft have been registered by NTDC SDOs in various Jamshoro police stations.
Despite private security personnel being deployed, theft from NTDC towers has become alarmingly frequent.
Authorities have yet to devise an effective strategy to curb the recurring thefts, which continue to disrupt power supply and burden the national grid with repair costs.
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