KARACHI: The Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) has since Aug 12 got 10 culprits arrested and lodged FIRs against them on charges of gas theft in the wake of a number of intelligence-based operations against the commercial and industrial units that were involved in blatant gas theft across Sindh.

SSGC`s director general of security services and control of gas theft Brig (retd) Mohammad Abuzar said in abriefing to the press on the Gas Theft Control and Recovery Act, 2016, at SSGCL head office on Wednesday that the company had stepped up efforts to control the menace of theft which was one of the major factors behind rising trend of unaccounted for gas (UFG) or line losses, thus affecting the company`s financial bottom line.

Mr Abuzar dilated on various sections of the act that called for penalising gas theft and meter tamperingoffenders that could lead to the imposition of fine up to Rs10 million and imprisonment up to 14 years. He discussed in particular formation of gas utilitycourtsinSindhandBalochistan, whereby the federal government, in consultation with chief justice of the high court concerned, could establish as many gas utility courts in a district as it might deem necessary for the purposes of this act and appoint a judge for each of such courts.-Staff Reporter