276 Foreigners Under Probe After NCCIA Raids I-10 Call Centre
Agency says the I-10/3 facility was allegedly linked to online sexual activity, exploitation and financial fraud; electronic evidence seized as investigation into foreign nationals and the wider network continues.
ISLAMABAD: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has registered a case following a raid on a call centre in Islamabad’s Sector I-10/3, where authorities say 276 foreign nationals were found as part of an investigation into alleged cybercrime, online exploitation and financial fraud.
Raid Conducted at Aofu Group Call Centre
According to information attributed to the NCCIA, the operation targeted a call centre operating under the name “Aofu Group.”
Investigators took electronic material into custody for forensic examination as they seek to establish the nature and scale of the alleged operation.
The agency alleges that the facility was being used for online sexually explicit conversations and video-based activities, as well as schemes involving financial fraud.
These remain allegations under investigation and have not been established by a court.
276 Foreign Nationals Found
According to figures provided by the agency, the foreign nationals found during the operation included:
- 69 Vietnamese
- 71 Indonesians
- 47 Thai nationals
- 74 Chinese nationals
- 14 Myanmar nationals
- 1 Vanuatu national
The reported total was 276 foreign nationals.
Of the Chinese nationals, the NCCIA said 42 were subsequently shifted to its holding centres in Islamabad’s G-13 sector and Rawalpindi.
The agency did not, in the information available to Islamabad Tribune, specify the legal or investigative status of every foreign national found at the premises.
FIR Registered Under PECA, PPC
The NCCIA said an FIR had been registered against the call centre under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) and the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
Investigators are now examining the seized electronic evidence and assessing the roles, if any, of individuals found at the premises.
The agency is also investigating the alleged network’s operating model, financial links and online activities.
Individual Roles Yet to Be Established
Authorities have not yet publicly established whether every foreign national present at the call centre was involved in the alleged offences, an employee, a witness or otherwise connected with the operation.
Individual responsibility will therefore depend on the investigation and subsequent legal proceedings.
The NCCIA said action against individuals and networks allegedly involved in online exploitation, impersonation and cyber-enabled financial fraud would continue.
Islamabad Tribune has presented the allegations as claims attributed to the investigating agency.
The registration of an FIR or commencement of an investigation does not establish guilt, and all accused or investigated persons are entitled to the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty by a competent court.
