A major corruption bust in Pakistan targets the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) in Gujranwala, where FIA’s Composite Circle has booked three officials and helpers for extorting crores from cyber fraud suspects.
Custody followed swift FIR filing based on spy agency tips and resident Muzammil Iqbal’s account. Pakistani media like Express Tribune highlighted how these guardians of cyberspace turned predators, releasing criminals for fat bribes.
Iqbal’s February 2 nightmare began with a bogus FIA squad barging into his Garden Town home. Hostages taken, 15 phones, laptop, car, cash, and cards seized amid family torture. Blindfolds on, locked away, then office-bound for crypto and online biz interrogations.
The shakedown: massive cash hauls, crypto dumps, bank hits—all to dodge charges, with ongoing blackmail. Returns were selective, leaving victims shortchanged.
Salman Raza’s kin suffered parallel fates, facing 5 crore ultimatums. Iqbal bargained to 3 crore with purported FIA brokers—30 lakh ready cash, 15 lakh wired—before liberation.
Beyond individual arrests, this affair spotlights systemic flaws in Pakistan’s cyber policing. Robust reforms, tech audits, and whistleblower protections are imperative to restore integrity and intensify real cyber threat battles.