FESCO Catches 3,741 Electricity Thieves in 4 Months, Fines of Rs 32.32 Crore in Faisalabad Region (Punjab)

The Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (FESCO) supplies power to eight districts of central Punjab, including Faisalabad, Jhang, Sargodha, Mianwali and Toba Tek Singh. We read the full release on its website the same evening and sorted the numbers by circle, because the release gives them in one long paragraph.

FESCO caught 3,741 electricity thieves in four months

FESCO says its six operation circles found 3,741 cases of electricity theft in the past four months. It charged them for more than 7,836,000 units, known as detection units, and fined them more than Rs 32.32 crore. It says more than Rs 20.33 crore has been recovered.

A detection bill is the extra bill an electricity company sends when it finds that units were used but not recorded. It is separate from your normal monthly bill. NEPRA's rules on how these bills are made are explained in our guide to detection bill rules in Pakistan.

Most of the theft FESCO found was in homes

Of the 3,741 connections, FESCO says 3,606 were domestic, 59 commercial, 66 agricultural and 10 industrial. That means about 96 out of every 100 cases were homes. The release does not say how much of the fine came from each type.

FESCO lists the methods it found. People took power directly from the line, fitted a shunt system to bypass the meter, drilled holes in the meter body or slowed the meter in other ways. FESCO says the meters and other equipment were removed on the spot.

Faisalabad's two circles had nearly half the cases

FESCO's First and Second circles, both in Faisalabad, account for 1,739 of the 3,741 cases. Mianwali is third with 808. Toba Tek Singh had the fewest at 188.

We added the circle figures ourselves. The six circle case counts add up exactly to 3,741. The six fines add up to about Rs 32.29 crore, close to the Rs 32.32 crore total. The circle units add up to about 7.77 million, a little under the 7.84 million total. Each circle figure in the release says "more than", so the gap is likely rounding, but FESCO does not explain it.

Police cases were filed under the amended theft law

FESCO says it applied for police cases against 3,731 of the people caught. Cases were registered against 2,175 under what it calls the new amended act on electricity theft, and 691 people were arrested. The release does not say how many cases reached court.

Electricity theft is a crime under the Pakistan Penal Code. Our guide on electricity theft punishment in Pakistan sets out the jail terms and fines in sections 462-H to 462-O.

FESCO's chief executive, Engineer Abid Rashid, said in the statement that electricity theft is a national crime and that the drive will go on until the last thief is caught. He said FESCO follows a zero tolerance policy across its region.

How to report electricity theft to FESCO

FESCO asks people to report suspected theft in their area to its helpline 118 or to the office number printed on their bill. You do not need to give your name to report a fallen or tapped line.

1. Note the place: street, mohalla and the nearest pole or transformer number if you can see it.
2. Call 118 from any phone, or ring the SDO number on your own FESCO bill.
3. Give the place and what you saw, such as a wire hooked to the line.
4. Write down the complaint number you are given.
5. If nothing happens, follow up with the XEN office listed in our FESCO complaint number guide.

Our wider guide to reporting electricity theft in Pakistan covers the other companies and what to do if the company does not act.

What an honest FESCO customer should check

Detection drives sometimes reach people who did nothing wrong, for example a tenant whose landlord tampered with a meter years ago. If you get a detection bill, do not ignore it. Ask the SDO office in writing for the inspection report and the calculation. The NEPRA rules say a detection bill must be based on a proper site check and a set formula.

If you think the bill is wrong, you can complain to FESCO first and then to NEPRA. Pay the normal part of your bill on time so the supply is not cut while the dispute goes on.

Common questions

How many electricity thieves did FESCO catch?

3,741 in the last four months, according to FESCO's press release of 12 November 2026. Of these, 3,606 were homes.

How much fine did FESCO charge?

More than Rs 32.32 crore for more than 7,836,000 detection units. FESCO says more than Rs 20.33 crore has been recovered.

Which FESCO circle had the most cases?

The Second circle in Faisalabad, with 883 cases. The First circle, also in Faisalabad, had 856 and Mianwali had 808.

How many people were arrested?

691, FESCO says. Police cases were registered against 2,175 people, and applications were filed against 3,731.

What is the FESCO helpline for reporting theft?

118. FESCO also asks people to use the office number printed on their bill.

Sources

We read the Urdu press release posted on the FESCO website on the evening of 12 November 2026 (file FESCO_1794458987_UPR121126.jpg). All figures are FESCO's own. We added the circle totals ourselves to check them. We did not see the inspection files behind any case.