Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjhar on Thursday announced the dismantling of a sophisticated, internationally connected online fraud network operating in Pakistan.
Addressing a press conference alongside Additional Director of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) Tarik Nawaz, the minister detailed the results of a coordinated operation targeting digital investment scams.
According to the Home Minister, law enforcement agencies arrested a total of 34 suspects, including 15 foreign nationals and 19 Pakistani citizens, for their alleged involvement in fraudulent online investment schemes.
The network reportedly targeted unsuspecting individuals through social media platforms, enticing them with promises of lucrative returns on cryptocurrency and Forex trading.
Authorities revealed that the suspects used counterfeit investment portals designed to mimic legitimate platforms.
Victims were shown fabricated profit figures to gain their trust and pressure them into transferring increasingly larger sums of money.
During the raids, investigators seized a large cache of digital and communication equipment, including 37 computers, 40 mobile phones, more than 10,000 SIM cards, and six illegal gateway exchange devices. Officials said the foreign SIM cards were used to create fake accounts on social media and messaging applications such as Telegram to conceal the identities of the perpetrators.
Tarik Nawaz said that the operation was carried out in DHA Phase One and Phase Six, adding that forensic and technical analysis of the seized material is ongoing to further strengthen the case and identify additional links in the cybercrime network.
