NCCIA gets 10,386 cybercrime complaints in 53 days, arrests 1,749
The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency has registered 442 cases and arrested 1,749 suspects in 53 days. It recovered more than Rs149.8 million during its operations.
- 10,386 complaints received in 53 days, 442 cases registered
- 1,749 suspects arrested, over Rs149.8 million recovered
- 59 call centre raids led to 973 arrests, including 211 foreign nationals
The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has arrested 1,749 suspects and registered 442 cases after receiving 10,386 cybercrime complaints in the past 53 days, according to official figures reported by TechJuice.
On the basis of those complaints, the agency opened 6,672 inquiries. Authorities also recovered more than Rs149.8 million during various operations carried out in this period.
The agency's Cyber Patrolling Unit completed technical analysis of 4,530 URLs. It then referred 1,186 illegal web links to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) so that they could be blocked.
Authorities also conducted 59 raids on illegal call centres and registered 43 cases. A total of 973 suspects were arrested in these raids, including 211 foreign nationals, which accounts for a large share of the 1,749 arrests overall. Law enforcement agencies seized 15,502 items during the raids.
Additional Director Shahzad Akbar said that between 300 and 350 skimming and scam call centres were operating in Karachi. He said the NCCIA had decided not to grant any concession to those involved in running them.
Akbar said the agency had taken action against one of three major companies operating in the sector, which had also faced action in the past. He added that young people who should be in education were being employed in these call centres.
According to Akbar, local residents and retired people were among those targeted in the fraud. He said the agency had seized 329 laptops containing fake IDs and credit card details. Credit card holders were deceived through various offers, he said, and their accounts were emptied through fraudulent schemes.
Background
khabr.pk reported on 9 November that the NCCIA had warned the public about fake messages offering a Rs13,000 cash reward in the prime minister's name, which it said might carry links meant to steal personal and banking details. The same day, we reported a warning from Pakistan's National Cyber Emergency Response Team about AI and automated tools being used for coordinated cyberattacks on banks and critical infrastructure.
Why it matters for Pakistan
Online fraud affects ordinary card holders, retired people and local residents, who were among those targeted according to the NCCIA. The more than Rs149.8 million recovered shows the scale of money involved in the cases the agency handled. With 10,386 complaints filed in 53 days, many people in Pakistan are reporting such crimes. The figures also show that scam call centres in Karachi are a continuing focus of the agency's raids.
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