A major theft scandal involving assets worth billions of rupees has been uncovered at Pakistan Steel Mills, with investigators pointing to an organized network allegedly involved in the large-scale removal of public property.

The Federal Investigation Agency launched an inquiry after receiving a complaint from the Ministry of Industries and Production. Initial findings suggest that machinery, cables, scrap material and other critical infrastructure were repeatedly taken out of the facility without gate passes.

Investigators said the case has exposed serious security failures at the state-owned complex, with evidence indicating either negligence or possible collusion by security personnel and members of the District Security Force.

Authorities also recovered a 22-wheeler trailer carrying 36 tons of government material, a development that has further deepened suspicions of a structured operation for the extraction and transport of assets.

According to the investigation, the network may have involved internal employees, security staff and scrap dealers working together to remove and sell public assets over time.

Officials said the scale and continuity of the activity suggested the theft was not an isolated incident but part of a coordinated and deeply rooted system.

Preliminary reports also indicate that although a case had been registered earlier, it was later downgraded to a lower category, raising concerns over possible attempts to weaken or suppress the matter.

The FIA has now widened the scope of the investigation, identified key suspects and facilitators, and is moving toward legal action against those allegedly involved.