FAISALABAD: The Thekariwala police claim to have detected a gang involved in stealing from Parco pipeline oil worth more than Rs500 million.

City Police Officer Ashfaq Khan told a press conference here on Tuesday that police had detected the gang with the help of an intelligence agency. He said the gang had tactfully connected a pipe with the main pipeline to steal the oil and they had been doing so for the last more than two years.

“We have also summoned the officials of Parco so that we can assess whether they have any kind of involvement in this theft of national asset,” he said.

On Dec 24 last, police registered a case on the complaint of Khalid Ali, admin officer of Parco, against 10 people including Rana Saeed, Shafiq, Luqman, Adnan and Ashfaq Ahmed (partner of Saeed). The complainant said Parco linewalker Muhammad Javed was on routine patrolling when his motorcycle tyre caved in at Chak 275-JB. On suspicion, he said, Javed informed him (Ali) who reached the spot along with others and detected the underground pipeline.
According to the FIR, landowner Sharif had been facilitating the theft.

Javed said the high pressure line leading to a petrol pump tank was unearthed. The CPO announced cash prize for Iqbal Town SP Dr Fahad and others for detecting the theft of the oil.

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2019