PUNJAB POLICE’S CRACKDOWN ON 4G/5G TELECOM THEFTS CONTINUES; 17 MORE HELD
— LATEST ARRESTS TAKES TOTAL COUNT TO 126 ARRESTS AND 140 FIRs
CHANDIGARH, February 9 (WISHAVWARTA);- In a major and sustained crackdown on the theft of critical 4G/5G telecom infrastructure targeting Bharti Airtel Limited, Punjab Police has arrested an additional 17 individuals, taking the total count to 126 arrests and 140 First Information Reports (FIRs) registered across the state. These decisive enforcement actions have averted widespread disruption of essential public telecom services.
Following the reports of thefts involving high-value 4G/5G infrastructure, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted on the orders of Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav. The SIT, headed by Chairman Inspector General of Police (IGP) Rajpal Singh Sandhu, worked in close coordination with district police units to apprehend the accused and make massive recoveries of stolen equipment.
Providing details, SIT Chairman IGP Rajpal Sandhu stated that the accused specifically targeted high-value GUC1 Cards (Base Band Units), which are critical for the transmission of 4G and 5G signals. “The entire theft operation was executed in under two minutes, after which the culprits fled the scene,” he said. These thefts had caused significant disruptions to telecom services in affected areas, depriving the public of essential voice and data connectivity.
Using a combination of technical surveillance and human intelligence, Punjab Police has successfully dismantled the networks involved in these thefts, said the IGP, while adding, “Further investigation is underway to trace both forward and backward linkages and unravel the entire criminal network.”
Punjab Police has warned all anti-social elements to cease such activities immediately or face strict legal action. With district police forces forming dedicated special crack teams, further arrests are expected as the investigation progresses.
