The NCCIA, Pakistan's cybercrime investigation body, says it rescued a 13-year-old girl in a crackdown in Rabia City, Karachi, after an online contact pulled her into a suspected dark web operation. Officials say the group reportedly gave children tasks and offered payment for producing sexually explicit cartoons. Deputy Director Shehzad Akbar told a press conference that the agency had acted on credible information, and that the girl's father had been notified.
How the case came to light
Akbar said the two devices the child used were seized with her father's cooperation. He rejected suggestions that the first task given to the girl involved killing a cat. He did say, however, that the girl was allegedly being manipulated in ways similar to tactics linked to dark web groups abroad, and that the case could have grown more serious had it not been exposed.
The agency's work is continuing to establish the role of suspected local handlers and to identify any other children who may have been targeted. Officials have also opened a probe into whether so-called red rooms on the dark web were used to assign tasks to minors.
The wider network and seized devices
According to figures shared by officials, the wider inquiry involves 42 suspects, 12 of whom are juveniles. Investigators are testing whether minors were purposely singled out and paid. Some children were reportedly paid around $100, a sum the information put at approximately Rs6,000.
The NCCIA has seized 19 mobile phones from Pixel Craft, a company reportedly operating for about two years. It also took five phones from Art Office and 17 from Art Design, which reportedly had 17 staff. Akbar named a man called Fudan as the alleged operator of the network. Preliminary findings suggest the firms produced graphics such as logos and banners for clients abroad, and officials are examining whether that work was connected to the alleged abuse. All of these allegations remain under investigation.
Other cybercrime cases
Akbar said the agency had earlier detained a boy in Karachi who was allegedly looking online for ways to take revenge on someone. Separately, the NCCIA arrested a suspect named Hamza on Thursday over alleged anti-state propaganda, and officials said that matter is being investigated further.
Over the past 15 days, the agency regained 39 accounts on apps including WhatsApp and Instagram, shut down 95 profiles suspected of financial fraud, and acted against 38 profiles accused of targeting women using false names. It has also received many complaints about hacked WhatsApp Business accounts. Officials said the cybercrime cases remain under way.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Karachi mein NCCIA ne ek 13 saal ki bachi ko rescue kiya, jo kathith taur par dark web ke ek network ki zad mein aayi thi. Officials ke mutabiq is case mein 42 mashtabah afrad shamil hain, jin mein 12 naabalig hain, aur tehqiqat jaari hai. Walidain ko bachon ke phones aur social media accounts par nazar rakhni chahiye, aur kisi ajnabi ki taraf se paise ke offer par fori bharosa nahi karna chahiye.
