KARACHI: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has arrested 42 people allegedly involved in a case related to child sexual exploitation and pornography, Deputy Director Shahzad Akbar said on Friday.
Addressing a press conference, Shahzad Akbar said the agency had taken action against a network involved in pornography and the creation of fake videos. He said the details of the agency’s operations over the past week were being shared.
The NCCIA deputy director said the agency had recovered 39 hacked accounts in one week and blocked more than 70 accounts involved in anti-state activities.
He said a raid was conducted by the agency’s team last night in a case in which underage children were allegedly targeted for sexual exploitation through the dark web.
According to Shahzad Akbar, 12 children had been targeted through the dark web. He said children were paid Rs6,000 for every $100 involved in the activity.
He added that the security of children was being compromised and warned that artificial intelligence was also being used to target minors.
14-year-old girl secured in dark web case
Shahzad Akbar said the agency had secured a girl aged between 14 and 15 who had allegedly become a victim of the dark web.
He said the girl used social media platforms as well as messaging applications. According to him, some messaging applications could lead users towards the dark web.
The NCCIA official added that the girl’s parents had noticed changes in her behaviour over the previous six months.
Over 70 accounts blocked over anti-state activity
The deputy director said the agency was also monitoring activities directed against the country.
He said a suspect named Hamza was arrested the previous day for allegedly sharing anti-state content since March 2026.
Shahzad Akbar also warned users about the hacking of WhatsApp Business accounts. He said advertisements appearing while users viewed online content could contain bugs.
The NCCIA said its recent operations targeted cybercrime, online exploitation and activities involving hacked accounts and prohibited content.
