NCCIA arrests four over alleged online harassment, provocative post

The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) Gujranwala has arrested four suspects in separate cases involving alleged online

GUJRANWALA: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) Gujranwala has arrested four suspects in separate cases involving alleged online harassment, blackmailing and dissemination of provocative material against state institutions, officials said on Monday.

According to the NCCIA, one of the suspects, identified as Najam-ul-Hassan, was arrested for allegedly sharing unlawful and provocative content against state institutions through social media.

The agency said a mobile phone and an alleged Facebook account were secured during the action. The account was allegedly being used to disseminate defamatory and provocative posts concerning state institutions.

In another case, the NCCIA arrested a suspect, identified as Hasnain Ali, for allegedly harassing and blackmailing a woman through WhatsApp.

The agency said the suspect was allegedly sharing objectionable material through WhatsApp and using it to blackmail the complainant. A mobile phone, an alleged WhatsApp account and objectionable data were secured during the operation, it added.

In a separate case, two more suspects, identified as Liaqat Niamat and Hizbullah, were arrested over allegations of blackmailing and harassing a woman through social media and WhatsApp.

According to the NCCIA, the suspects were allegedly sharing objectionable material through WhatsApp and using it to blackmail the complainant’s sister.

The agency said two mobile phones, two alleged WhatsApp accounts and objectionable data belonging to the victim were recovered during the operation.

The NCCIA said investigations into the cases were under way and further legal action would be taken on the basis of the evidence collected during the investigation.

The arrests come as the cybercrime investigation agency continues its crackdown on the alleged misuse of social media platforms for harassment, blackmailing and dissemination of unlawful content.

Officials said the devices and social media accounts secured during the operations would be examined as part of the investigations to determine the nature and extent of the alleged offences.

The NCCIA did not disclose further details about the complainants or the nature of the objectionable material.

All four suspects are presumed innocent unless proven guilty by a court of law.