34 arrested, including 15 foreigners, in Karachi cyber fraud crackdown

More than 10,000 foreign SIM cards, six illegal gateway exchange setups recovered from suspects

The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency Karachi Unit has dismantled an organised international online fraud network in an intelligence-based operation, arresting 34 suspects including 15 foreign nationals and 19 Pakistanis.

Sindh Interior Minister Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar, accompanied by NCCIA Sindh chief Tariq Nawaz, disclosed the details during a press conference at the Salim Wahidi Auditorium, Clifton License Branch. He said the arrests were made during raids conducted in DHA Phase I and Phase VI. Among the foreigners apprehended were 12 men and three women.

The minister said the group was operating fake investment platforms to trap victims. Using automated bots, the suspects created artificial activity in Telegram groups to make the platforms appear legitimate. Victims were shown fake online dashboards that displayed fabricated investment figures and profits, convincing them that their money was growing, whereas the entire system was controlled by the fraudsters.

He further revealed that more than 10,000 foreign SIM cards and six illegal gateway exchange setups were recovered from the suspects. These SIM cards were used to create fake social media and Telegram accounts, receive PIN and OTP verification codes and maintain communication through WhatsApp when required.

According to the investigators, the network’s operations involved managing Telegram groups and social media accounts, persuading victims to invest, collecting money in bank accounts of targeted countries, converting the funds into cryptocurrency and transferring the proceeds to the main beneficiaries across borders.

The minister said the seized material included 37 computers, 40 mobile phones, over 10,000 international SIM cards and six illegal gateway exchange devices. He added that the crackdown was carried out on December 18 during a raid on a fraudulent call center in Karachi.

Lanjar disclosed that the suspects had conducted transactions worth nearly 60 million dollars. He said authorities had received multiple complaints against the call centers and confirmed that drug use was also detected at the premises.

He added that the foreign nationals belonged to several friendly countries but their nationalities were not being disclosed to avoid unnecessary diplomatic concerns. Investigations are continuing and further developments are expected, while monitoring of other illegal call centers across Sindh has been intensified.