NCCIA arrests 1,749 suspects and recovers Rs149.8m as nationwide cybercrime crackdown widens
ISLAMABAD: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) arrested 1,749 suspects and recovered Rs149.8 million during 53 days of enforcement activity across the country, as its operations extended from suspected illegal call centres to online financial fraud, identity misuse, harassment and offences targeting women and children, according to sources. The agency received 10,386 complaints, initiated 6,672 inquiries and registered 442 cases during the reporting period. The figures reflect nationwide activity, with individual operations reported in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi, Faisalabad, Abbottabad and other cities. Action against suspected illegal call centres accounted for 59 raids, 43 cases and 973 arrests. Investigators also took 15,502 items into custody, while the operational breakdown separately recorded the arrest of 211 foreign nationals. The figures emerged against the backdrop of an enforcement drive under NCCIA Director General Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi, who has directed field formations to prioritise financial fraud, online harassment and complaints involving women and children, while improving investigations through digital forensic evidence. Cyber patrolling and web-link referrals Alongside physical raids, the agency’s Cyber Patrolling Unit completed the technical analysis of 4,530 URLs and referred 1,186 web links to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority for blocking. The figures distinguish technical scrutiny and referrals from completed blocking action. No corresponding total was provided for links subsequently made inaccessible. The source-provided breakdown also listed 559 inquiries and 51 cases alongside the cyber-patrolling figures, without explaining whether these were included in the agency-wide totals. The individual operations announced during September, October and November illustrate the scope of the campaign. Their figures cannot be added to the 53-day totals, as the agency has not published a case-by-case reconciliation identifying overlaps. Major Karachi operation targets alleged financial fraud network One of the largest recent operations took place in Karachi on November 4, when NCCIA teams arrested 273 people from a suspected call-centre operation near Sharea Faisal. According to the agency’s account, investigators seized 339 laptops, 152 mobile phones and four computer processing units, along with digital material allegedly connected to financial information belonging to foreign nationals. Investigators alleged that callers impersonated representatives of US financial institutions and debt-resolution services to obtain personal and banking information. The information was allegedly used to facilitate unauthorised financial transactions. The seized devices were taken into custody for technical examination to establish the alleged methods, financial trail and individual roles of those involved. By November 7, 264 of the 273 people arrested had been granted bail, while nine remained in investigative custody. The distinction between initial arrests and subsequent court orders is significant, as an arrest does not establish participation in an alleged scheme or criminal liability. Coordinated raids in Lahore and Karachi In another round of operations announced on October 29, the NCCIA reported 89 arrests from four suspected illegal call centres in Lahore and Karachi. The Lahore Circle arrested 42 suspects during raids on three facilities allegedly targeting foreign citizens through offers involving telecommunications packages and mobile-phone upgrades. Investigators recovered 67 laptops, a desktop computer and 50 mobile phones during those operations. In Karachi, 47 suspects were arrested from a facility operating at Technology Park on Sharea Faisal. According to the agency, the alleged scheme involved obtaining banking information from foreign nationals through deception. The Karachi operation yielded 50 laptops, 26 mobile phones and a desktop computer. The agency said cases had been registered and the recovered equipment sent for forensic examination. Lahore investigations cover call centres and financial recoveries Earlier, on October 9, NCCIA Lahore Additional Director Atif Ameer announced the arrest of 281 suspects during a week-long operation against seven suspected illegal call centres. The suspects included 260 Pakistanis and 21 foreign nationals. Investigators seized 362 mobile phones, 191 computer systems, 74 laptops, 127 other digital devices and 550 SIM cards. At the same briefing, the official reported the recovery of Rs19.246 million in five cases and 10 inquiries involving transactions through bank accounts and mobile payment services. The briefing also covered separate arrests concerning alleged online exploitation of children and harassment of women, demonstrating that the agency’s work extended beyond call-centre investigations. In another Lahore operation reported in early November, eight suspects, including two women, were arrested from a suspected call centre in Township. The agency alleged that operators used telecommunications offers to obtain financial information from overseas customers. Investigators seized 28 laptops, 10 desktop computers and 15 mobile phones after obtaining a search warrant. Rawalpindi operation examines alleged loan-recovery scheme In Rawalpindi, the NCCIA announced on September 28 that it had arrested 61 people during a raid on a suspected illegal call centre in Satellite Town. According to an agency spokesperson, investigators recovered 71 mobile phones and 155 laptops. The suspects allegedly posed as recovery agents and used threats to obtain money from foreign nationals under the guise of collecting loans. A case was registered and the recovered material secured for investigation. Islamabad investigations extend beyond G-10 In the federal capital, September operations against three suspected call centres in G-10 and E-11 resulted in 212 people being taken into custody, according to the agency’s subsequent account. Investigators reported recovering hundreds of computers, mobile phones and other devices. The G-10 operation was led by SHO Cyber Crime Reporting Centre Islamabad Shafqat Faiz. One case arising from the operations concerned an alleged scheme in which individuals were approached through dating applications before being introduced to purported online tasks and investment opportunities. A separate Islamabad operation announced on September 27 resulted in nine arrests, including five foreign nationals and four Pakistanis, in connection with another suspected call-centre operation. Electronic devices were recovered for examination. The Islamabad Circle also pursued individual financial-fraud complaints. On November 8, the agency reported recovering and returning Rs2.94 million to a woman who had allegedly lost Rs9.5 million in an online fraud case. The investigation was supervised by Inspector Waqar Masih Ghouri, while efforts to trace the remaining amount continued. In another case, NCCIA Islamabad arrested a suspect in Faisalabad on November 2 over an alleged WhatsApp account takeover linked to losses of Rs1.3 million. According to the agency, the suspect allegedly posed as a courier representative to obtain access to the complainant’s account, then impersonated the account holder to seek money from acquaintances. A mobile device was seized during the operation. Abbottabad case focuses on movement of funds In Abbottabad, the agency announced on October 28 that it had arrested the principal suspect in an alleged Rs18 million fraud case involving the bank accounts of 24 individuals. Officials said six other suspects had previously been arrested, while investigators were examining the alleged use of accounts belonging to relatives and retailers. The investigation focused on tracing transactions and determining the roles of those whose accounts were allegedly used to receive or transfer funds. Officials also cautioned citizens against allowing others to use their bank accounts or mobile wallets. Action against online harassment and offences targeting children Separate operations have addressed complaints involving threats, misuse of private information and impersonation on social media. On November 1, the NCCIA announced three arrests in Lahore and Faisalabad in cases involving alleged harassment and blackmail of women. The allegations included unauthorised access to a social-media account, creation of a false profile, circulation of private material without consent and demands for money. Mobile phones were seized for further examination. In Karachi, officials announced on October 29 that two suspects had been arrested over the alleged sale and circulation of child sexual abuse material through online groups. Devices were seized and cases registered. At the same briefing, officials stressed the distinction between legitimate software houses and operations allegedly engaged in unlawful activity, saying the agency’s work also involved protecting the lawful information technology sector. A separate Rawalpindi case reported on November 10 involved the arrest of a suspect accused of approaching a child through an online game and subsequently exploiting and blackmailing him. Investigators seized a mobile phone for forensic analysis. Public complaints and financial safeguards The enforcement drive has been accompanied by direct complaint hearings. During an e-kachehri on October 28, Director General Rizvi heard complaints concerning online fraud, harassment and blackmail and issued directions to the relevant officers for action. The NCCIA’s public guidance advises citizens to verify payment requests independently, avoid suspicious links and refrain from sharing passwords, PINs or one-time verification codes. It also warns against messages seeking personal information under the pretext of parcel delivery and offers promising unusually high financial returns. Complaints can be submitted through complaint.nccia.gov.pk, while the agency lists 1799 as its round-the-clock helpline. If the complaint The 53-day figures describe reported enforcement activity and recoveries, rather than completed court outcomes. The breakdown does not specify the number of convictions, acquittals or resolved complaints, or how much of the aggregate recovery has been returned to affected citizens.
ISLAMABAD: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) arrested 1,749 suspects and recovered Rs149.8 million during 53 days of enforcement activity across the country, as its operations extended from suspected illegal call centres to online financial fraud, identity misuse, harassment and offences targeting women and children, according to sources.
The agency received 10,386 complaints, initiated 6,672 inquiries and registered 442 cases during the reporting period. The figures reflect nationwide activity, with individual operations reported in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi, Faisalabad, Abbottabad and other cities.
Action against suspected illegal call centres accounted for 59 raids, 43 cases and 973 arrests. Investigators also took 15,502 items into custody, while the operational breakdown separately recorded the arrest of 211 foreign nationals.
The figures emerged against the backdrop of an enforcement drive under NCCIA Director General Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi, who has directed field formations to prioritise financial fraud, online harassment and complaints involving women and children, while improving investigations through digital forensic evidence.
Cyber Patrolling and Web-Link Referrals
Alongside physical raids, the agency’s Cyber Patrolling Unit completed the technical analysis of 4,530 URLs and referred 1,186 web links to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority for blocking.
The figures distinguish technical scrutiny and referrals from completed blocking action. No corresponding total was provided for links subsequently made inaccessible.
The source-provided breakdown also listed 559 inquiries and 51 cases alongside the cyber-patrolling figures, without explaining whether these were included in the agency-wide totals.
The individual operations announced during September, October and November illustrate the scope of the campaign. Their figures cannot be added to the 53-day totals, as the agency has not published a case-by-case reconciliation identifying overlaps.
Major Karachi Operation Targets Alleged Financial Fraud Network
One of the largest recent operations took place in Karachi on November 4, when NCCIA teams arrested 273 people from a suspected call-centre operation near Sharea Faisal.
According to the agency’s account, investigators seized 339 laptops, 152 mobile phones and four computer processing units, along with digital material allegedly connected to financial information belonging to foreign nationals.
Investigators alleged that callers impersonated representatives of US financial institutions and debt-resolution services to obtain personal and banking information. The information was allegedly used to facilitate unauthorised financial transactions.
The seized devices were taken into custody for technical examination to establish the alleged methods, financial trail and individual roles of those involved.
By November 7, 264 of the 273 people arrested had been granted bail, while nine remained in investigative custody.
The distinction between initial arrests and subsequent court orders is significant, as an arrest does not establish participation in an alleged scheme or criminal liability.
Coordinated Raids in Lahore and Karachi
In another round of operations announced on October 29, the NCCIA reported 89 arrests from four suspected illegal call centres in Lahore and Karachi.
The Lahore Circle arrested 42 suspects during raids on three facilities allegedly targeting foreign citizens through offers involving telecommunications packages and mobile-phone upgrades.
Investigators recovered 67 laptops, a desktop computer and 50 mobile phones during those operations.
In Karachi, 47 suspects were arrested from a facility operating at Technology Park on Sharea Faisal. According to the agency, the alleged scheme involved obtaining banking information from foreign nationals through deception.
The Karachi operation yielded 50 laptops, 26 mobile phones and a desktop computer. The agency said cases had been registered and the recovered equipment sent for forensic examination.
Lahore Investigations Cover Call Centres and Financial Recoveries
Earlier, on October 9, NCCIA Lahore Additional Director Atif Ameer announced the arrest of 281 suspects during a week-long operation against seven suspected illegal call centres.
The suspects included 260 Pakistanis and 21 foreign nationals. Investigators seized 362 mobile phones, 191 computer systems, 74 laptops, 127 other digital devices and 550 SIM cards.
At the same briefing, the official reported the recovery of Rs19.246 million in five cases and 10 inquiries involving transactions through bank accounts and mobile payment services.
The briefing also covered separate arrests concerning alleged online exploitation of children and harassment of women, demonstrating that the agency’s work extended beyond call-centre investigations.
In another Lahore operation reported in early November, eight suspects, including two women, were arrested from a suspected call centre in Township.
The agency alleged that operators used telecommunications offers to obtain financial information from overseas customers. Investigators seized 28 laptops, 10 desktop computers and 15 mobile phones after obtaining a search warrant.
Rawalpindi Operation Examines Alleged Loan-Recovery Scheme
In Rawalpindi, the NCCIA announced on September 28 that it had arrested 61 people during a raid on a suspected illegal call centre in Satellite Town.
According to an agency spokesperson, investigators recovered 71 mobile phones and 155 laptops.
The suspects allegedly posed as recovery agents and used threats to obtain money from foreign nationals under the guise of collecting loans. A case was registered and the recovered material secured for investigation.
Islamabad Investigations Extend Beyond G-10
In the federal capital, September operations against three suspected call centres in G-10 and E-11 resulted in 212 people being taken into custody, according to the agency’s subsequent account.
Investigators reported recovering hundreds of computers, mobile phones and other devices. The G-10 operation was led by SHO Cyber Crime Reporting Centre Islamabad Shafqat Faiz.
One case arising from the operations concerned an alleged scheme in which individuals were approached through dating applications before being introduced to purported online tasks and investment opportunities.
A separate Islamabad operation announced on September 27 resulted in nine arrests, including five foreign nationals and four Pakistanis, in connection with another suspected call-centre operation. Electronic devices were recovered for examination.
The Islamabad Circle also pursued individual financial-fraud complaints.
On November 8, the agency reported recovering and returning Rs2.94 million to a woman who had allegedly lost Rs9.5 million in an online fraud case. The investigation was supervised by Inspector Waqar Masih Ghouri, while efforts to trace the remaining amount continued.
In another case, NCCIA Islamabad arrested a suspect in Faisalabad on November 2 over an alleged WhatsApp account takeover linked to losses of Rs1.3 million.
According to the agency, the suspect allegedly posed as a courier representative to obtain access to the complainant’s account, then impersonated the account holder to seek money from acquaintances. A mobile device was seized during the operation.
Abbottabad Case Focuses on Movement of Funds
In Abbottabad, the agency announced on October 28 that it had arrested the principal suspect in an alleged Rs18 million fraud case involving the bank accounts of 24 individuals.
Officials said six other suspects had previously been arrested, while investigators were examining the alleged use of accounts belonging to relatives and retailers.
The investigation focused on tracing transactions and determining the roles of those whose accounts were allegedly used to receive or transfer funds. Officials also cautioned citizens against allowing others to use their bank accounts or mobile wallets.
Action Against Online Harassment and Offences Targeting Children
Separate operations have addressed complaints involving threats, misuse of private information and impersonation on social media.
On November 1, the NCCIA announced three arrests in Lahore and Faisalabad in cases involving alleged harassment and blackmail of women.
The allegations included unauthorised access to a social-media account, creation of a false profile, circulation of private material without consent and demands for money. Mobile phones were seized for further examination.
In Karachi, officials announced on October 29 that two suspects had been arrested over the alleged sale and circulation of child sexual abuse material through online groups. Devices were seized and cases registered.
At the same briefing, officials stressed the distinction between legitimate software houses and operations allegedly engaged in unlawful activity, saying the agency’s work also involved protecting the lawful information technology sector.
A separate Rawalpindi case reported on November 10 involved the arrest of a suspect accused of approaching a child through an online game and subsequently exploiting and blackmailing him. Investigators seized a mobile phone for forensic analysis.
Public Complaints and Financial Safeguards
The enforcement drive has been accompanied by direct complaint hearings. During an e-kachehri on October 28, Director General Rizvi heard complaints concerning online fraud, harassment and blackmail and issued directions to the relevant officers for action.
The NCCIA’s public guidance advises citizens to verify payment requests independently, avoid suspicious links and refrain from sharing passwords, PINs or one-time verification codes. It also warns against messages seeking personal information under the pretext of parcel delivery and offers promising unusually high financial returns.
Complaints can be submitted through complaint.nccia.gov.pk , while the agency lists 1799 as its round-the-clock helpline. If the complaint
The 53-day figures describe reported enforcement activity and recoveries, rather than completed court outcomes. The breakdown does not specify the number of convictions, acquittals or resolved complaints, or how much of the aggregate recovery has been returned to affected citizens.
