The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) of Pakistan stated on the 10th that police raided a scam call center and arrested 149 people, including 71 foreign nationals, most of whom are Chinese.
In a statement, the agency said: “This raid uncovered a large-scale scam call center involved in Ponzi schemes and investment fraud.”
The statement said: “This scam network deceived the public through various means, illegally collecting vast sums and causing major financial losses to individuals.”
The agency noted that authorities acted upon a tip-off to carry out the operation at the scam call center located in Faisalabad.
The investigation revealed that the site raided by police was the residence of Awang, the son of a former director of Pakistan’s Water and Power Development Authority.
All those arrested are currently in detention, including 78 Pakistanis, 48 Chinese, and citizens from Nigeria, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, and Myanmar. Out of the 149 suspects, 18 are women.
Faisalabad is an important manufacturing hub in eastern Pakistan.