NCCIA arrests five suspects for online harassment, blackmail

LAHORE, Aug 21 (APP):The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) Punjab on arrested five suspects during separate raids in Lahore, Gujranwala, Multan, and Faisalabad for allegedly harassing and blackmailing women through objectionable images and threatening messages.

According to an NCCIA spokesperson on Friday, authorities in Lahore apprehended a suspect named Qaiser for allegedly harassing and blackmailing a woman. Investigators revealed that the suspect pressured the victim to marry him and threatened to distribute her private photographs online if she refused.

In Gujranwala, the agency arrested Muhammad Muzammil and Ali Asghar. Officials stated that Muzammil acquired objectionable photographs of a woman and blackmailed her by threatening to send them to her newlywed husband to disrupt her marriage. The suspect allegedly extorted money, with approximately Rs 200,000 transferred into Ali Asghar’s bank account. Investigators recovered three mobile phones, a WhatsApp account linked to a UK number and other digital evidence.

Meanwhile, NCCIA officials in Multan arrested Muhammad Tanveer on allegations of obtaining sensitive material belonging to a woman, sharing it across various WhatsApp accounts, and harassing both the victim and her family. A mobile phone, SIM card, and the WhatsApp account used in the offense were confiscated.

In Faisalabad, authorities detained Khair Hayat for allegedly blackmailing a woman and demanding Rs 500,000 in exchange for deleting her objectionable pictures and digital media. A mobile phone was recovered from his possession.

NCCIA Director Muhammad Ali Wasim stated that operations against individuals involved in online harassment, blackmail, and threats targeting women will be intensified. He added that investigation teams are conducting further inquiries utilizing the digital evidence recovered from the suspects.