LAHORE – The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), Lahore Zone, has arrested 12 suspects, including two women, during raids on two illegal call centres allegedly involved in international telecommunications fraud. The agency also seized 28 digital devices. According to officials, the raids were conducted at Solution Hub in Batapur and Task Taker in Punjab Housing Society following credible intelligence and search warrants obtained from a competent court. Preliminary investigations revealed that the call centres were targeting citizens in Canada, the United States and other countries through fraudulent offers of mobile phone upgrades, network packages and SIM deals. The suspects allegedly impersonated representatives of leading telecommunications companies, including Rogers, Bell, Telus and AT&T, to obtain victims’ financial information and carry out unauthorised transactions and carding fraud.
During the first raid, the agency arrested a woman, Arsala Tahir, and six men identified as Muhammad Sameer Tahir, Hussain Rizwan, Abdul Rehman, Umar Khalid, Syed Ali Murtaza and Sohaib Ali. In the second operation, a woman, Ayesha Muzammil, and four men, Moazzam Sultan, Zain Ashraf, Zain and Muhammad Faisal, were taken into custody. The seized equipment included 13 laptops, two desktop computers and 13 mobile phones. Initial examination of the devices revealed dial-up software and data allegedly used to make calls to foreign nationals. The devices have been sent for forensic analysis, while separate cases have been registered and further investigations are underway.
NCCIA Additional Director Atif Ameer said the agency would continue its crackdown on illegal call centres, international telecommunications fraud and the misuse of citizens’ financial information.
