NCCIA detains over 250 employees during raid on Karachi call centre

KARACHI: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has arrested 274 people, including 42 underage individuals, during a raid on a call centre located on Shahrah-e-Faisal, Additional Director NCCIA Karachi Zone Shehzad Akbar said.

In a statement recorded by Dialogue Pakistan, Shehzad Akbar said the agency had seized 339 laptops during the operation, adding that each device contained multiple identities and sensitive credit card information allegedly linked to fraudulent activities.

Explaining the nature of the alleged scams, he said the suspects posed as representatives of international banks, including Bank of America, to obtain people's credit card details and misuse their financial information.

He added that the agency had information about approximately 300 to 350 scam call operations and had targeted one of the major companies during the latest raid. An FIR has been registered against the arrested employees, he said.

The additional director disclosed that around 100 women were working at the call centre, while 42 of those arrested were underage teenagers.

Expressing concern over the involvement of minors, he said children aged 14 to 15 should be attending school rather than participating in fraudulent activities. He added that their involvement in such operations could not be ignored.

Responding to calls for action against business owners instead of employees, Shehzad Akbar said the agency had initially focused on arresting owners. However, it later found that some employees established their own companies after previous raids, sometimes registering them under the name of information technology businesses.

He further said the agency had received complaints about fraudulent calls involving fake parcel deliveries, food orders and the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), through which callers allegedly obtained victims' sensitive banking details.

The official maintained that the agency would not spare those involved in such activities and said the decision regarding bail and physical remand of the arrested suspects would rest with the court.

He also disclosed that another case was under investigation, with further details expected to be shared later.

Meanwhile, Dialogue Pakistan reported that the raided call centre had been declared a sub-jail.