NCCIA Arrests 15 Suspects in Lahore and Multan Cybercrime Raids, Including TikToker

The NCCIA arrests 15 suspects in a series of coordinated raids across Lahore and Multan, as the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency widens its crackdown on cybercrime, online fraud and other digital offences. The operations, carried out this week under the supervision of senior NCCIA officials, targeted fake bank accounts, online scams and an illegal call centre — and among those taken into custody was a TikToker detained over the alleged uploading of objectionable content.

Coordinated raids across Lahore and Multan

The NCCIA arrests 15 suspects through separate operations conducted by the agency’s Lahore Zone under the supervision of Additional Director Atif Amir. According to officials, the raids were aimed at dismantling networks involved in cybercrime and online fraud that have been cheating ordinary citizens out of their money through increasingly sophisticated digital schemes.

The agency said the suspects were picked up from different locations in Lahore and Multan after investigators tracked their alleged activities over recent weeks. Mobile phones, SIM cards, laptops and digital records were recovered during the operations, and officials say the seized material will be forensically examined to map the full extent of the alleged fraud networks.

TikToker among those held

Among the 15 suspects arrested by the NCCIA was TikToker Shazaib Sialkoti, who was detained over allegations that he uploaded objectionable pictures of a woman on social media. The case highlights how the agency’s cybercrime net is widening beyond financial fraud to cover the misuse of social media platforms.

Posting or sharing objectionable content without consent is a punishable offence under Pakistan’s cybercrime laws, and the NCCIA has in recent months stepped up action against the non-consensual sharing of private images. Officials say the investigation will determine the exact nature of the content and the circumstances in which it was uploaded.

Fake bank accounts, a fake marriage bureau and an illegal call centre

In Lahore, six suspects were arrested for allegedly operating fake branchless banking accounts. Investigators say the group also posed as visa agents, luring citizens with promises of overseas employment and visas before cheating them out of millions of rupees. Several mobile phones and SIM cards were recovered from their possession during the raid. These six arrests are part of the operation in which the NCCIA arrests 15 suspects in total.

In Multan, four suspects were taken into custody for allegedly running a fake marriage bureau. The group is accused of defrauding people through online schemes built around matrimonial advertisements and promises — a form of fraud that has been reported with growing frequency in recent years.

Another four suspects, including two women, were arrested in Multan for allegedly operating an illegal call centre on Katchery Road. Investigators seized laptops and digital records from the premises, and officials say the call centre’s activities are now being examined to identify victims and trace the flow of money.

Part of a wider NCCIA crackdown

The NCCIA arrests 15 suspects as part of a much larger enforcement drive. In recent weeks, the agency arrested 59 people — including seven women — during raids on three alleged illegal call centres in Lahore over suspected online financial fraud targeting US citizens. In a separate large-scale operation in Islamabad, the NCCIA arrested more than 200 foreign nationals in a crackdown on digital fraud, seizing servers and equipment.

The scale of the problem is reflected in the complaint numbers. The NCCIA received 148,204 complaints in 2026, up sharply from 104,490 in 2025, according to details submitted to the National Assembly — with online fraud topping the list of reported cybercrimes. Officials say the surge in complaints is one reason the agency has been given a broader mandate and additional resources.

Investigations continue

The NCCIA arrests 15 suspects who are now in custody while investigations continue to establish their alleged involvement in the offences and to identify others who may be part of the same networks. Forensic examination of the seized phones, SIM cards, laptops and digital records is expected to reveal how the fraud schemes were organised and where the money went.

The NCCIA arrests 15 suspects in this round of operations, and officials say more raids are planned. Officials have urged citizens to stay alert: never share one-time passwords or bank details with unknown callers, verify visa agents and marriage bureaus through official channels, and report suspicious online activity to the NCCIA’s complaint portals. As digital fraud grows more organised, the agency’s message is simple — the crackdown will continue.

Sources: TechJuice · Abb Takk News