LUCKNOW, Jan. 7 -- A late-night crackdown in Sambhal on Monday exposed what officials described as a "highly organised and technically sophisticated" electricity theft racket that relied on underground cabling and concealed distribution points to illegally supply power to dozens of homes and commercial establishments. The illegal network came to light during a joint enforcement drive by the Purvanchal Vidyut Vitaran Nigam Limited (PVVNL), the district administration and police, led by district magistrate Rajendra Pensiya and superintendent of police Krishna Bishnoi. What initially appeared to be routine line losses turned out to be a covert, parallel power distribution system operating beneath residential lanes. District magistrate Rajendra Pensiya said the case revealed a new and dangerous pattern of power theft. "This is a new type of theft system. Police have been directed to take strict legal action. Several other cases were also detected during the drive and the data is still being compiled. Action will be taken against all those involved under the relevant laws, including property seizure, if required," he said. PVVNL officials said the accused, identified as Asif, a local resident, illegally tapped electricity from a main power line mounted on an electric pole. Instead of visible overhead connections, the stolen power was routed through concealed underground cables laid beneath streets and buildings, supplying electricity to at least 25 houses and nearly 20 commercial establishments, including shops and small businesses. Officials described the setup as an "underground mini power station", with transformer-like equipment installed inside a residential house to regulate and distribute the stolen load. The total stolen load was estimated at nearly 50 kilowatts. An electricity department official said the use of underground cabling was a deliberate attempt to evade inspections and mask abnormal consumption patterns, allowing the theft to continue undetected for a prolonged period. The racket was uncovered after PVVNL flagged abnormally high line losses and unusual load behaviour, with losses touching nearly 50% in some localities. A focused technical audit and physical inspection led teams to dig beneath roads and houses, eventually exposing the hidden cable network. Superintending engineer Himanshu Varshneya said similar surprise raids would continue in the coming days, adding that the department would adopt a zero-tolerance approach towards organised electricity theft....