NCCIA arrests 273 in suspected fraud call centre raid

The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has arrested 273 people during a major raid on an alleged international fraud call centre on Karachi’s Sharea Faisal.

The operation was conducted on November 4 at a premises near Kavish Crown Plaza, where investigators identified a call centre operating under the name Voxtron Solutions.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, NCCIA Additional Director Shahzad Akbar said the agency had launched the operation as part of an ongoing investigation into an alleged international financial fraud network.

During the raid, officials seized 339 laptops, 152 mobile phones and four computers. The recovered devices and other evidence have been taken into custody for technical examination and digital forensic analysis.

According to preliminary findings, the call centre was allegedly involved in targeting foreign nationals through impersonation, identity theft and caller ID spoofing.

Investigators said the facility was reportedly operating under the cover of debt validation services. Its employees allegedly posed as representatives of foreign banks and financial institutions, contacting people abroad and offering assistance with the verification of outstanding debts.

The NCCIA official said the suspects allegedly attempted to obtain sensitive personal and financial information from their targets, including Social Security numbers and payment card details.

Investigators further suspected that the information was used to carry out unauthorised financial transactions through merchant accounts. The proceeds were allegedly transferred to Pakistan through company accounts and international remittance channels.

Akbar said 273 suspects had been arrested for further investigation. A case has been registered under several provisions of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) 2016, including unauthorised access to data, electronic fraud, identity misuse, electronic forgery and spoofing.

Meanwhile, the arrests triggered protests by relatives of the suspects and local residents near Baloch Colony Bridge on Sharea Faisal.

The protesters claimed that around 100 women were among those arrested and maintained that their children were employed at the call centre without any involvement in illegal activities. They demanded the immediate release of the detainees.

The demonstration disrupted traffic on one of Karachi’s busiest roads, forcing authorities to divert vehicles to alternative routes.

Police and traffic officials held negotiations with the protesters and eventually persuaded them to disperse. Traffic movement on Sharea Faisal was restored by 1:22pm.

The latest operation comes days after the NCCIA reported arresting more than 40 suspects during another raid on an alleged illegal call centre on Sharea Faisal. The agency had accused that facility of targeting foreign nationals through fraudulent activities.