5G Sabotage? Airtel Tower Equipment Theft Gang Busted in Punjab: Report

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Punjab Police has arrested 61 people and registered 95 First Information Reports (FIRs) in connection with large-scale thefts of telecom equipment from Airtel mobile towers across the state, officials said. DIG Rajpal Sandhu, chairman of the SIT that investigated the thefts, reportedly said a pattern of such incidents had been observed at mobile towers across the state since the beginning of 2025.

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High-Value Airtel 5G Equipment Targeted

The accused had primarily targeted GUC1 Cards (Base Band Units), critical components for 4G and 5G signal transmission. Each unit, costing between Rs 3 lakh and Rs 4 lakh, was being sold to scrap dealers and other interested parties for as little as Rs 20,000–25,000.

“Following the reports of thefts involving high-value 5G infrastructure, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted on the orders of Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav. We worked in close coordination with district police units to apprehend the accused and make massive recoveries of stolen equipment,” Sandhu was quoted as saying.

Thefts Executed in Under Two Minutes

“The entire theft operation was executed in under two minutes, after which the culprits fled the scene,” Sandhu told The Indian Express. He added that those involved included former technicians, labourers, and others who had previously worked on these telecom towers.

Most incidents were reported from the Malwa region, followed by Doaba, with a few cases in Majha. Districts including Bathinda, Patiala, Sangrur, Ferozepur, Mansa, Ropar and Faridkot witnessed the highest number of thefts.