Investigators in Karachi have rescued a 13-year-old girl who was allegedly drawn into an online network tied to the dark web, the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) said. The group reportedly ordered her to harm animals and hurt herself.
The probe began after a foreign intelligence agency passed information to the NCCIA about suspicious online activity by a group allegedly involved in child exploitation. The agency then received a tip-off, an email address and internet protocol (IP) addresses linked to the suspected group.
How the NCCIA traced the dark web network
NCCIA Additional Director Tariq Nawaz said the digital trail led to Karachi, where investigators concluded that the person linked to the activity was a victim rather than a perpetrator.
According to Nawaz, agents using concealed online identities contacted the girl through social media and messaging apps. They assigned her a series of tasks involving cruelty to animals and self-injury.
The investigation found that she had already completed a first task, poisoning a cat. She was then told to seriously harm herself, but NCCIA officers reached her before she could carry out the next task.
Parents unaware as devices seized and probe continues
The agency visited the girl’s home, seized her electronic devices for examination and informed her parents of the situation. The family had not known about her online activity.
Her parents told officials they had noticed changes in her behaviour over the past six months but had not linked them to internet use. Nawaz said the investigation is ongoing, with investigators trying to identify the accounts used to contact the girl and trace those running the network.
Authorities are also examining whether other children in Pakistan may have been targeted. No arrests have been announced so far.
NCCIA urges parents to watch children’s online activity
The agency has urged parents to monitor their children’s online activities, watch for unusual behavioural changes and understand the risks on social media and messaging platforms.
Earlier on Monday, the NCCIA warned against creating fake social media profiles of women, leaking their personal data and images, and blackmailing them online. In a statement, it said blackmail and leaking anyone’s personal data are cybercrimes punishable under the law.
