NCCIA arrests eight in raid on alleged illegal call centre in Lahore

The agency said the raid was part of its efforts to curb cybercrimeLAHORE (Dunya News) – The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has arrested eight suspects, including two women, during a raid on an alleged illegal call centre in Lahore's Township area for reportedly defrauding British citizens through telecommunications scams., the suspects allegedly operated a fraudulent call centre by impersonating representatives of well-known international telecommunications companies, including AT&T and Verizon, to deceive customers in the United Kingdom.

The agency launched the operation after obtaining a search warrant from a court. The raid was conducted on the directions of the Additional Director of NCCIA Lahore. During the search, investigators seized 53 digital devices, including 28 laptops, 10 desktop computers and 15 mobile phones.

Officials also recovered dialling software and data allegedly linked to fraudulent activities being carried out through the call centre. Preliminary investigations identified Tayyab Tariq and Amina Tariq as the alleged owners and managers of the operation,.

The NCCIA said a case had been registered against the arrested suspects under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016. Further investigation is underway to examine the seized digital equipment, establish the extent of the alleged fraud and determine whether other individuals were involved in the operation.

The agency said the raid was part of its efforts to curb cybercrime and protect citizens from online and telecommunications-related fraud.