Smart meter SIM thefts along Pak border ring drone-smuggling alarm

Ferozepur: The theft of SIM cards installed in smart electricity metres in village's along the Pakistan border in Punjab's Ferozepur district, has sent the alarm bells ringing for the state's power discom, with officials fearing the SIM cards could be misused by smugglers to transmit GPS coordinates for smuggling via drones.The superintendent of police (headquarters), Ferozepur, has alerted local teams and directed them to monitor suspicious digital signals, even as the IT wing is working to block all stolen SIM cards to prevent further misuse. Over a dozen such thefts have been reported in the last few days. Recent cases have been reported from Churiwala.The thieves are allegedly breaking the seal of each meter and removing its SIM card. Two new cases were reported on Tuesday at the residences of Sulakhan Singh and his brother Makhan Singh in Churiwala. Previously, 10 such cases were documented in the Tendiwala area. The thefts have taken place in Tendiwala, Gatti Rajo Ke, Ali Ke, Hazare Wala, Pojo Ke, Palla Megha and Darveshe Ke villages.District authorities and the security agencies are particularly alarmed due to the proximity of these villages to the international border. Since these SIMs are registered with the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), any illegal digital activity or communication conducted through them is significantly harder to trace to an individual criminal. PSPCL executive engineer Rajiv Kumar warned unscrupulous elements against tampering with smart meters, highlighting that such activities were illegal and, if any individual was identified, strict legal action would be taken.