KUCHING: Syarikat Sesco Berhad carried out meter inspection with police in Miri earlier this week.

A press release issued yesterday revealed that the inspection focused on high risk and repeated tamperings under the commercial and industrial tariff categories.

About 12 per cent of the total 800 meters inspected were found to be tampered with, showing power theft is rampant in the city.

Although losses due to power theft in Miri had dropped from 17.27 to 15.09 per cent, it is still the third highest in the state after Sibu and Kuching.

The annual loss from power theft in Miri is about RM14 million, so Sesco will intensify its meter inspection operations in Miri and the whole state to fight power theft.

In the operation, a pub located at Centre Point Commercial Centre in the city was found to have its meter tampered again.

This meter found tampered in October 2014 was replaced with a smart meter that gives an alarm when the meter is tampered with.

When Sesco meter inspection team arrived at site, the meter cabinet had a padlock on it.

When the inspection team asked the pub operator to unlock the meter cabinet, he said the key was not available, so Sesco inspection team cut the padlock to inspect the meter.

Further investigation found the meter’s seal was broken and the meter tampered with – it was not registering any electricity consumed even though the pub was operating.

Sesco suspects that a remote switching relay had been illegally installed inside the meter to bypass the current registering circuit.

All evidences of tampering were seized and will be used for prosecution in court. A police report was lodged and the customer to be called to assist in investigation.

“Under the Sarawak Electricity Ordinance Section 32(B), it is an offence to obstruct the Sesco meter inspection team. The offender is punishable with a RM5,000 fine or two years’ imprisonment, or both,” said a Sesco spokesperson.

The spokesperson revealed that lately their meter inspection teams encountered many customers, especially factories, using this tactic to prevent the meter inspection team inspecting the meter in the main switch board.

“Sesco is working closely with the Electrical Inspectorate Unit (EIU) of the Ministry of Public Utilities to take legal action against these power theft offenders.

“The other measure we are working on with EIU is to disconnect the electricity supply once the tampering is detected at site. This will send a warning to customers that Sesco is not taking this power theft lightly,” said the spokesperson.

The public can report to Sesco on any power theft via its hotline 082-44 35 35.

All information will be kept confidential.