Pakistan’s National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has caught a group that was illegally getting hold of people’s private information and selling it online and through social media.
What Data Was Being Sold?
According to NCCIA’s briefing to the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology, the stolen information included:
- Call records (who you called and when)
- Travel history
- NADRA data (ID card/personal records)
- Family details
- SIM card ownership info
- Location and tracking data
How They Did It
The group allegedly used fake WhatsApp accounts and microfinance bank accounts to receive payments and hide their trail. When investigators checked the suspects’ phones, it reportedly confirmed their involvement in the crime.
Who’s Been Caught
Five people have been named in the case: Arshad Tariq, Arham Baree, Anam Sabir, Muhammad Rizwan, and Samman Sabir. Four of them were arrested and are currently out on bail, while Arham Baree got bail before arrest. Police also recovered seven mobile phones from the suspects.
What Happens Next
NCCIA says the investigation is still ongoing to find out if more people were involved and whether there are any international connections. The agency also pointed out a bigger problem — Pakistan still doesn’t have a proper national system to monitor cyber threats in real time, which makes it harder to catch and respond to this kind of crime quickly.