Pakistani YouTuber Saad ur Rehman, popularly known as Ducky Bhai, was taken into custody by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) early Sunday at the Lahore airport, which sent shockwaves through his fan base.
On Sunday afternoon, Ducky Bhai was presented before a judicial magistrate. The court granted the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) a two-day physical remand, directing the agency to produce him again on Tuesday, August 19, along with an investigation report.
So, what is Ducky Bhai accused of? Here’s what we know so far:
According to official records, the National Cyber Crime Agency (NCCA) accuses the influencer of promoting gambling and fraudulent investment applications, including Binomo and 1xBet, on his YouTube channel and other social platforms.
The case was filed by the state through NCCIA Lahore at midnight on August 17 under sections 13 (Electronic Forgery), 14 (Electronic Fraud), 25 (Spamming), and 26 (Spoofing) of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, in addition to sections 294-B (Offering prizes in connection with trade) and 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
The first information report (FIR) is linked to an inquiry launched on June 13 after authorities received intelligence indicating that several social media influencers were enticing the public into illegal betting and investment schemes for financial gain.
The report alleged that members of the public invested their savings through these platforms and suffered losses. It specifically accused Rehman of promoting applications such as Binomo, 1xBet, Bet 365, and B9 Game through 27 videos on his channel, some of which have since been removed.
The FIR further claimed that while these apps collected large sums from the public, they failed to deliver profits, thereby defrauding users. On August 16, immigration officials at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport detained Rehman while he attempted to leave the country. His phone was seized, and investigators reported finding chats related to Binomo promotions and records of unauthorized payments. Authorities also alleged that Rehman acted as Binomo’s “country manager” without authorization from the State Bank of Pakistan or the Federal Board of Revenue.
