NCCIA Probe Uncovers Alleged Sale of Videos Involving Minors
NCCIA Additional Director Muhammad Shoaib Khan says four suspects were arrested after investigators recovered around 50 to 60 videos involving children. A separate Karachi investigation concerns a teenager allegedly contacted by a suspected dark-web-linked group.
ISLAMABAD: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) says it has arrested four suspects in an investigation into the alleged online exploitation of children and the distribution of videos involving minors.
Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad on Friday, NCCIA Islamabad Additional Director Muhammad Shoaib Khan said investigators recovered around 50 to 60 videos from a mobile phone belonging to a child. The inquiry that followed led to the arrests, he said. No victim identities have been disclosed.
According to published accounts of Khan’s briefing, the suspects allegedly contacted children aged between six and 14 through Instagram and other social media platforms, built relationships with them and offered money before persuading or coercing them to record videos. Investigators say the material was then shared or sold in Pakistan and abroad. The allegations remain under investigation; an arrest is not a finding of guilt.
Khan also described a separate case involving a father accused of making videos of his own children for money. The agency has not publicly identified the children, and their identities should remain protected. The details of this allegation have not been independently confirmed in the published accounts reviewed for this report.
The reported distribution channel needs confirmation. The briefing notes provided to Islamabad Tribune refer to Telegram, while published reports on the Islamabad arrests describe WhatsApp groups and international buyers. The agency has not publicly clarified whether both platforms were used. This report therefore refers to messaging platforms generally and does not treat Telegram as a confirmed channel.
What “Dark Web” Means
The dark web is a small part of the internet that requires specific privacy networks or software to reach. One example is Tor, which can route connections through multiple relays and host websites using “.onion” addresses. These features can make it harder to identify the people operating a site or visiting it. The Tor Project says onion services can also support lawful privacy uses, including secure communication between journalists and sources.
The dark web is different from the deep web. The deep web includes ordinary material that search engines do not index, such as private email accounts and password-protected databases. It is also important to distinguish the dark web from Telegram or WhatsApp: those are messaging platforms, not the dark web. A group using a messaging app is not, by itself, evidence that it operates through Tor or another dark-web network.
Investigators have not publicly established that the Islamabad suspects used the dark web. Published accounts describe alleged contact through social media and distribution through messaging platforms. In a separate Karachi case, NCCIA officials said foreign intelligence helped them trace a teenager who had been contacted through social media and then engaged with a group on a messaging app. NCCiA said the investigation was continuing.
Why These Networks Can Be Dangerous
Privacy tools can have legitimate uses, but anonymity can also make it harder for families and investigators to identify people who operate abusive groups. Online contact may begin on familiar social platforms, move to private chats, and involve pressure, secrecy, money or threats. If harmful material is created or shared, it can be copied and redistributed beyond the original conversation.
The risk is not limited to hidden websites. The UNICEF-backed Disrupting Harm in Pakistan study estimates that nearly one in 16 internet-using children aged 12 to 17 about 1.5 million children experienced at least one form of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation or abuse in a single year. The report identifies fear, stigma and concern about family reactions as barriers to seeking help.
Khan said the NCCIA was coordinating with international counterparts and conducting investigations in several parts of Pakistan. He also announced plans for awareness sessions at universities and schools, including presentations for parents on monitoring children’s online activity. He said the agency’s 1799 helpline was operational.
NCCIA Reports Separate Call Centre Crackdown
The NCCIA separately reported a wider crackdown on call centres in Islamabad. According to the agency it had arrested 671 suspects 473 foreign nationals and 198 Pakistanis in raids on 16 centres and seized about 13,000 electronic devices. The agency said forensic examination was under way to determine the alleged activity and identify possible victims and network links. Those arrests and seizures relate to separate investigations and do not establish guilt.
Pakistan’s current child-safety challenge is therefore broader than the technology itself: it includes who approaches children, how families and schools respond to warning signs, and whether victims can report concerns without fear or blame. UNICEF has also noted that Pakistan’s electronic-crime law still uses the term “child pornography” for material depicting child sexual abuse, terminology the report says can wrongly frame abuse as pornography.
