The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has arrested a four-member gang accused of sexually exploiting and blackmailing dozens of children. The suspects are also accused of producing and selling obscene videos of the victims online, the agency said.
NCCIA Islamabad Additional Director Muhammad Shoaib Khan made the announcement at a press conference. He said the agency first arrested one suspect and recovered around 50 to 60 obscene videos of children from his mobile phone. Further investigation led to three more arrests, which he said exposed a wider network.
Suspects allegedly lured children through Instagram
According to Shoaib Khan, the suspects targeted children aged between six and 14 on Instagram. They allegedly built friendships with their victims and gained their trust by offering gifts, prizes, online money sent through mobile transfers, internet packages and mobile phone recharges.
Once the children trusted them, the suspects allegedly invited them for rides on motorcycles and in cars. The suspects then allegedly recorded obscene and sexually exploitative videos of them, Shoaib Khan said.
The gang then allegedly used the footage to blackmail the victims. It also allegedly pressured them into helping the suspects find more children, the additional director said.
Videos sold locally and abroad through WhatsApp groups
Shoaib Khan said the suspects sold the videos online to buyers in Pakistan and abroad. He also said WhatsApp groups operating in several cities were used to circulate, buy and sell such videos.
He urged parents and guardians to stay alert, keep a close watch on their children and monitor their social media activity to protect them from online exploitation.
Separate Karachi rescue of girl linked to dark web group
In a separate case, the NCCIA rescued a 13-year-old girl in Karachi who was allegedly targeted by an online network linked to the dark web. The network allegedly instructed her to carry out acts of animal cruelty and self-harm.
The investigation began after the agency received information from a foreign intelligence agency about suspicious online activity linked to a group allegedly involved in child exploitation. NCCIA Additional Director Tariq Nawaz said the agency received a tip-off, an email address and relevant internet protocol (IP) addresses about the suspected group.
Investigators traced the digital footprints to Karachi. They found that the person linked to the activity was a victim rather than a perpetrator, Nawaz said.
