MY 88-year-old mother lives in Lahore where a new form of crime is targeting households. Thieves are stealing the ‘green meters’ that solar-powered households depend on. They then contact the victims through WhatsApp and demand money for the meter’s return. My octogenarian mother, who lives with dementia, is one such victim. Her green meter was taken from the pole outside her home. A day later, a caller using an untraceable WhatsApp number contacted the family and told them where the meter had been hidden, but only after demanding payment.
The man initially demanded Rs30,000 and warned that if the matter was reported to the police, the meter would be stolen again. After a plea on behalf of a frail elderly woman, the demand was reduced to Rs15,000. My family paid that, and recovered the meter that was hidden close to the house. It was subsequently reinstalled by the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco).
This is extortion, to say the least. The thieves 1(now that without their meters, households with solar systems cannot properly export electricity to the grid or settle their electricity accounts. They also know that most families would rather pay quietly than risl( having the meters stolen again. Their threat depends on silence, and, I suspect, many have paid up without speaking out.
The relevant authorities should treat this as organised crime. They should systematically record suchincidents,trace the WhatsApp numbers and payment channels used by the perpetrators, and take due measures to secure meters installed on roadside poles. Citizens should also be assured thattheycanreportsuchthreats without any fear. No family should have to pay a ransom to recover its own property.
Nas Babar Dallas, USA