NCCIA’s major Karachi call centre operation faces legal setback as nine more accused granted bail

The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency’s (NCCIA) high-profile operation against an alleged illegal international fraud

KARACHI: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency’s (NCCIA) high-profile operation against an alleged illegal international fraud call centre network in Karachi has come under scrutiny after a judicial magistrate granted bail to the remaining nine accused, including Usman Shamsi. With the latest decision, all 273 individuals nominated in the case have reportedly secured bail.

The Judicial Magistrate-I, Karachi East, issued the release order on November 10, 2026. Minute Mirror has obtained a copy of the official order, which directs the Superintendent of Central Prison, Karachi, to release the accused immediately if they are not required in any other case.

Details of the court order

The case was registered through FIR No. 137/2026 at the NCCIA Police Station in Karachi. The charges include Sections 3, 4, 11, 14 and 26 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), as amended in 2025, along with Sections 34 and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

According to the release order, each of the nine accused was granted bail against a surety bond of Rs. 200,000. The order records that sureties amounting to Rs. 180,000 each had been furnished.

The next hearing has been scheduled for November 19, 2026, at 8:30 am before the relevant court.

NCCIA had described operation as a major achievement

The NCCIA had previously presented the action as one of the biggest operations against cybercrime and alleged international fraud networks in the country’s history.

During a press conference, the Additional Director of NCCIA Karachi claimed that authorities had dismantled a large-scale illegal call centre network allegedly involved in international fraud activities.

A total of 273 individuals were nominated in the FIR, making the operation a significant development in the agency’s campaign against cybercrime.

However, the subsequent court proceedings and release of the accused have raised questions about the evidence collected during the investigation and the legal grounds of the arrests.

Earlier release of 264 individuals

Following the arrests, families of several detained individuals staged protests on Shahrah-e-Faisal, arguing that their relatives were employees working on monthly salaries rather than owners or operators of the alleged network.

The protesters maintained that many of the detained young people had been working as call centre employees and had no ownership role in the businesses under investigation.

Earlier, a judicial magistrate had released 264 individuals on personal surety. The latest order has now extended bail relief to the remaining nine accused, including those described as the main suspects in the case.

Consequently, all 273 individuals nominated in the FIR have secured bail, although the criminal proceedings themselves have not concluded.

Questions over investigation and evidence

The development has raised questions about the strength of the prosecution’s case, the evidence presented before the court and the investigation conducted under the amended PECA provisions.

Questions have also emerged about whether the agency will challenge the bail decision before a higher court and what further investigative steps it intends to pursue.

According to sources cited in the investigation, many of those arrested were young call centre operators between 20 and 25 years of age, reportedly earning monthly salaries ranging from Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 60,000. The sources further claimed that the alleged owners and principal operators of the network had not yet been brought within the scope of the investigation.

The matter will return to court on November 19, when further proceedings are expected to take place. The granting of bail does not amount to an acquittal, and the allegations against the accused remain subject to judicial determination.