SWABI, Aug 26: Stolen electricity cables are used to make silver pots, sources in the Peshawar Electricity Supply Company (Pesco) said. "There are factories in Peshawar and Nowshera where thieves sell the stolen cable," they said.

The sources acknowledged that organized gangs had been operating in the region who were involved in stealing of both oils and coils from transformers. The revelation comes as a latest instance of wire-stealing emerged in Dagi union council on Wednesday.

The thieves left the area people without power. The residents told Dawn on Thursday that the thieves struck at a time when power supply to the area was suspended following thunderstorm and torrential rains. They said that they initially thought the power supply suspension was due to some technical fault.

They said that whenever a few drops of rain fell, the Peshawar Electricity Supply Company resorted to power supply stoppage, "pretending that a fault had been developed and saying there would be not electricity till its removal."