The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has filed a case against senior officers of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) over allegations of extortion linked to illegal call centres. The probe targets several additional directors from Rawalpindi, a frontman, and a foreign national allegedly involved in facilitating the illegal operations.
According to the FIR, approximately 15 illegal call centres operating in Islamabad’s F-11 sector were paying millions of rupees monthly to the NCCIA officers. The scheme reportedly involved coercion and financial demands from both domestic and foreign individuals.
Extortion Network and Financial Details
Sources revealed that the extortion network collected around Rs120 million between September 2024 and April 2025. Officers allegedly used a frontman to receive payments from call centres in both Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
A sub-inspector reportedly negotiated a deal for Rs800,000 monthly with a newly established call centre. Moreover, the extortion practices continued when a new team was deployed to the Rawalpindi office in May 2025, maintaining monthly collections of Rs15 million.
High-Profile Incidents and Foreign Nationals
During a raid at a Rawalpindi call centre, 14 foreign nationals were arrested. The sub-inspector allegedly contacted the wife of one detainee through the frontman, subjected the husband to torture, and demanded Rs8 million for his release.
An additional Rs12 million was reportedly collected to secure the release of 13 other foreign nationals, with Rs1 million charged for legal formalities. The total Rs21 million collected from this raid was allegedly distributed among the involved officials.
In another incident, a station house officer (SHO) was reportedly involved in an extortion deal worth Rs40 million following a raid at a call centre in Islamabad’s F-11 sector.
Previous Incidents and Wider Implications
This case follows the arrest of six NCCIA officials in Lahore over receiving Rs9 million in bribes from the wife of YouTuber Saadur Rehman, widely known as Ducky Bhai. The YouTuber was arrested in August at Lahore airport for allegedly promoting online gambling platforms, including Binomo and 1xBet, via his YouTube channel.
Investigations and Accountability
The FIR indicates that a prime suspect in the current extortion case previously served as the NCCIA Sindh director. The involvement of high-ranking officials highlights systemic issues within the agency. FIA sources confirmed that the probe continues to uncover the full extent of financial irregularities and criminal networks linked to the illegal call centres.
The NCCIA extortion case exposes alleged organized crimes within Pakistan’s cybercrime investigative body. Authorities aim to hold all implicated officers accountable while dismantling the networks enabling large-scale extortion.
