THE Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco) in Mbeya Region and Police Force have launched a joint manhunt for a resident of Sae in Mbeya City on allegations of illegally connecting electricity and using it for an unspecified period.

The man was also found in possession of various Tanesco-owned electrical equipment, including meters, cables and other connection materials, which he kept in his house. Some of the items are suspected to have been stolen from people’s residences.

Officials from Tanesco, together with police detectives, uncovered the matter during a recent operation targeting fraudsters and electricity equipment thieves in different areas of Mbeya City.

They stormed the man’s rented house and discovered that apart from illegally connecting electricity to his own unit, he had also supplied power to fellow tenants and the landlord.

Tanesco security officer, Aloyce Mndolwa, said here yesterday that the operation followed a tip-off from some law-abiding citizens, which they secretly investigated and confirmed to be true.

He said such electricity theft causes heavy losses to Tanesco since the company invests heavily in power infrastructure and its distribution to customers. “We also found that even the meter he used was stolen in Ituha. So, he was using electricity completely for free. In addition, we recovered many Tanesco devices, including meters and cables,” he said.

He urged Mbeya residents to refrain from illegal power connections, warning that the practice is against the law and offenders face severe legal action, including prosecution.

Tanesco Mbeya regional revenue controller, Jackson Raphael, said investigations revealed that 90 percent of the electricity used in the house was stolen and unpaid for.

He said the exact financial loss suffered by Tanesco was yet to be established but would be determined once proper assessments are made. Sae Mtaa Chairperson Yona Mengo said he had never received any report about electricity theft in the area until Tanesco officers informed him.

He confirmed finding a large stock of Tanesco equipment at the suspect’s residence, adding that most residents had always assumed that the man was a Tanesco employee.

Tanesco also works to combat vandalism and theft of power infrastructure as the acts disrupt supply and lead to financial losses. The utility company encourages community involvement in reporting suspicious activities.