FIA seizes illegal electricity meters in Haripur

The FIA says it recovered dozens of government-issued electricity meters in a raid in Haripur and detained a former PESCO employee identified as Fareed. The agency has widened its investigation over suspected involvement of additional employees.

HARIPUR: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) said it has uncovered a major electricity meter scam in Haripur during its ongoing campaign against institutional corruption.

In a raid carried out by the FIA Abbottabad Zone in Naseem Town, Haripur, officials recovered dozens of government-issued electricity meters. The action was conducted at the residence of a former PESCO employee identified as Fareed.

The raid was launched on the basis of confidential intelligence. During the operation, authorities took into custody dozens of official electricity meters belonging to PESCO and HESCO that were described as illegal.

The recovered meters had allegedly been stolen and were being sold to private individuals. Fareed, identified as the prime suspect in the case, was taken into custody following the raid.

The FIA has also widened the scope of its investigation amid suspicions that more employees may have been involved in the alleged network.

Investigation expanded after raid

The development comes as the FIA continues what it has described as a crackdown on institutional corruption. The Haripur operation was presented as a significant step in that wider effort.

The raid led to the recovery of dozens of meters issued by public-sector power utilities. It identified the utilities as PESCO and HESCO, and said the meters were allegedly being diverted for sale in the private market.

Authorities have not only detained the main suspect named in the report but have also expanded the inquiry to examine whether other employees were linked to the case. Suspicions of additional involvement prompted investigators to broaden the probe after the initial recovery.

The operation was conducted under the strict directives of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

The case centres on the alleged theft and sale of official electricity meters, with investigators now examining the extent of the network uncovered in Haripur. The FIA Abbottabad Zone carried out the raid in Naseem Town as part of that investigation.

the seizure as a major development in the agency’s anti-corruption drive, with the recovery of dozens of government-issued meters and the arrest of the main suspect marking the latest action in the case.