FIA nabs two over online harassment, blackmail

Accused of impersonating victims on Facebook

RAWALPINDI:

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Rawalpindi police Friday apprehended at least three suspects, wanted in three separate cases.

The FIA’s Cyber Crime Circle in Islamabad arrested an individual suspected of blackmailing a woman by defaming her on social media.

The arrested person, identified as Rizwan Bari, was apprehended during a raid in the federal capital.

According to an FIA spokesperson, allegations against Bari include the creation of fraudulent email and social media profiles in the victim's name, through which he tarnished her reputation.

Additionally, he shared content on social media, posing as the victim.

Authorities have invoked the PICA Act and have initiated an investigation into the matter.

On the other hand, FIA Cyber Crime Circle in Rawalpindi arrested a suspect and registered a case against him for blackmailing the victim by disseminating her explicit photos and videos on social media.

The arrested person named Mohsin Khan has been accused of sexual harassment as well.

Khan is also accused of fabricating a Facebook profile under the complainant's identity, using which he uploaded offensive visual content over several months.

He purportedly shared images of the victim on multiple Facebook groups and forwarded them to the complainant's relatives.

A spokesperson confirmed that a thorough investigation is currently in progress subsequent to the filing of a case against the accused under the PECA Act.

In a separate action, the Rawalpindi police have apprehended an individual involved in conducting aerial firing and subsequently sharing it on social media. As per a police spokesperson, the accused, identified as Asim Khan alias Gaggo, engaged in public aerial firing along with his companions on a highway.

A video capturing the incident swiftly circulated across social media platforms.

Later, the Rawalpindi police's social media monitoring unit took prompt action and arrested the offender.

A case was registered against him for causing alarm among citizens by openly displaying firearms and engaging in aerial firing.

Rawalpindi Operations SSP Faisal Saleem said there is zero-tolerance stance towards both aerial firing and the display of weaponry.

He asserted that individuals who jeopardise the safety of citizens will not evade legal repercussions, and the accused will be brought before the court to face appropriate punishment.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 19^th, 2023.