NCCIA Prioritizes Women's Cybercrime Cases, Arrests 10 in Punjab

The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has intensified its focus on complaints involving the blackmail, harassment, and exploitation of women in the digital realm. This prioritization led to the arrest of 10 individuals on Saturday across various parts of Punjab, including Lahore, Multan, and Faisalabad.

Muhammad Ali Waseem, NCCIA Punjab chief, emphasized that while the agency addresses all forms of cybercrime, cases related to online harassment, intimidation, and blackmailing of women are being treated with the highest urgency. This approach is driven by the significant psychological, social, and reputational damage such offenses inflict on victims.

Operations conducted in Lahore resulted in the arrest of two suspects in separate online harassment complaints. In Multan, three suspects were apprehended, along with two others in distinct cases involving online harassment of women. Faisalabad saw the arrest of a suspect accused of blackmailing his ex-wife by sharing videos and photographs with her relatives. Another individual was arrested in Faisalabad for online harassment.

Notably, one suspect in Faisalabad was apprehended for allegedly using artificial intelligence to create fake and objectionable images of a girl, subsequently extorting Rs2 million from her under threat of circulating the content on social media. Mobile phones, digital evidence, and other relevant devices were recovered from the arrested suspects for forensic analysis.

The NCCIA stated that the recovered digital evidence suggests the involvement of the arrested individuals in online harassment and blackmail targeting women. Further investigations are ongoing, with additional legal actions expected following the forensic analysis reports. Last week, the agency also arrested five suspects for similar online harassment offenses against women in Punjab.

The agency cited swift action on actor Momina Iqbal’s complaint against ruling party MPA Saqib Chadhar as an example of its zero-tolerance policy. A case was registered against Chadhar under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act; he is currently on bail. (Source: Dawn Pakistan)