Karachi Safe City's stolen camera distribution box found

KARACHI: The stolen distribution box of the Karachi Safe City surveillance cameras has been recovered from an area near Bilawal House, police confirmed on Thursday.

According to police officials, the distribution box (DB) was stolen on November 6, 2025, and the Safe City Authority had informed the Boat Basin Police Station about the incident. However, no formal case was registered at the time.

The matter came to light a week later, after media reports highlighted the theft. Interestingly, the missing equipment was recovered soon after the reports surfaced.

Police said the distribution box was found abandoned in a vacant plot near the site where it was installed. Investigations are underway to determine how it ended up there. CCTV footage from nearby locations and other evidence are being examined to identify those involved.

Speaking to the media, DIG South Syed Asad Raza said that the box had been installed at a significant height, making it unlikely for a single person to remove it. He added that the cameras connected to the box were non-functional at the time of the incident.

“Eyewitnesses reported seeing individuals tampering with the distribution box from a vehicle,” DIG Raza said. “The Safe City administration had informed the police on November 6 about the incident, but without an alarm system in place, the exact time and date of the theft could not be determined,” he added.

DIG Raza said police are using eyewitness accounts and CCTV footage from the surrounding area to establish how the distribution box was stolen and subsequently recovered.

Authorities termed the incident a matter of grave concern.

Police are attempting to identify the thieves using footage from nearby cameras. However, the incident has raised serious questions about the safety and effectiveness of the Safe City system itself.

The theft also sparked a wave of reactions on social media, where users expressed disbelief and humor over the situation.

One user quipped, “Who will save the Safe City cameras?” while another jokingly suggested chaining the cameras — a common local tactic to prevent theft.