KARACHI: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has uncovered an alleged illegal call centre that had reportedly been operating for several years at Shahrah-e-Faisal’s Business Avenue.
ARY News has obtained video footage of the NCCIA raid. According to the agency, the call centre employed a large number of people, including women and Afghan nationals residing in Pakistan illegally.
The investigation found that more than 50 people could work at the facility at a time. The NCCIA alleged that Ali Siddiqui, alias Medi, Fawad Ahmed and Farooq were operating the call centre, which had been equipped with modern facilities and remained active around the clock.
According to investigators, male and female employees allegedly posed as representatives of foreign financial institutions and companies and contacted overseas citizens. They allegedly obtained money and sensitive information from victims through fraudulent means.
Sources said authorities were also investigating the employment of Afghan nationals allegedly residing in Pakistan illegally, including how they were recruited and on what basis they were employed at the call centre.
The NCCIA said it had dismantled the alleged organised network during the operation and arrested 27 suspects. Investigations into the arrested suspects and Afghan nationals are under way.
Read more: FIA deports 20 foreigners over illegal call centre activities
Authorities are also investigating other individuals allegedly linked to the network and potential facilitators.
Earlier, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) arrested 275 foreign nationals during a joint raid in Islamabad’s sector I-10 for running an illegal call centre, officials say.
The arrested foreigners included Chinese nationals and citizens of other countries, FIA said.
The call centre management was found to be involved in the preparation of immodest material, officials said. “Foreign woman and man were recruited for preparation of indecent material”.
The FIA has registered a case under the Foreign Act, while the NCCIA has booked the accused under the PECA Act.
All foreign nationals had entered Pakistan on visit or business visas, FIA said.
The authorities decided to send 76 foreigners back to their countries immediately. “The exit permits of the arrested accused under the process of preparation,” sources added.
