MULTAN (Kashmir English): In a major operation, Pakistan’s intelligence agencies, working closely with the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCI) in Multan, have dismantled an international cybercrime ring that was active within the country.
A crackdown against the 21-person gang, including the five members Muhammad Aslam, Adeel Aziz, Usama Nawaz, Abdul Moeez, and Shoaib Nazir was conducted.
The group was reportedly headed by Rameez Shahzad, who has been accused of running large-scale online fraud schemes that targeted foreign nationals, mainly from the United States, and caused millions of dollars in losses
The FBI and Dutch law enforcement agencies had earlier tracked the group’s activities and shut down several scam websites linked to the network.
Officials revealed that Rameez Shahzad, a native of Fatehpur Layyah, had set up the cybercrime operation with bases in Lahore and Multan.
He was a regular visitor to Abu Dhabi, where he is said to have committed more acts of fraud.
Authorities confiscated a number of valuable cars and expensive items that seemed to have come from money made through illegal activities.
Additional raids near Lahore resulted in uncovering a large stock of digital evidence such as mobile phones, laptops and storage devices.
Currently, the people involved are unable to travel outside the country, as their names are included on the Exit Control List (ECL).
Investigators are now taking legal action under PECA and several related laws. Authorities are still pursuing the aim of capturing all of the remaining people linked to the network.
