LAHORE: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency arrested three suspects in Lahore over an alleged network selling citizens’ private telecom and identity data through WhatsApp.
The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency conducted the operation after receiving a complaint from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority.
The PTA said officials seized five mobile phones, eight biometric devices and 43 suspected SIM cards during the raid.
Investigators found signs that the suspects traded call detail records, mobile phone IMEI numbers and subscriber information. The data also included users’ locations, the authority said.
Recovered records contained fingerprints and Computerised National Identity Card details, according to the PTA. Officials also found material linked to financial transactions.
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Authorities registered a case against the suspects. Forensic teams are examining the seized devices and digital records. Investigators are also trying to identify other people linked to the alleged network.
The PTA said protecting users’ personal data remained a priority. It pledged further legal action against people involved in selling confidential information.
PTA Chairman Major General (retired) Hafeez-ur-Rehman previously told a Senate committee that Pakistani citizens’ data had appeared on the dark web. He said the leaked records included identity cards, travel histories and mobile SIM details.
The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has dismantled an illegal data-selling network in Lahore following a formal complaint by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). The official website and complaint portal for the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) in Pakistan are available online.
