The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has detained four people in Islamabad who are accused of exploiting and blackmailing children, and of making and selling exploitative videos of them online. The case began with a single arrest, and the material found on that suspect's phone led investigators to three more people. Officials describe the case as a network that used messaging apps to trade the videos.
How the network allegedly operated
Speaking at a press conference, NCCIA's Islamabad additional director, Muhammad Shoaib Khan, said the first arrest led to the recovery of around 50 to 60 obscene videos of children from a mobile phone. Further inquiries identified three more suspects, which Khan described as a network involved in child sexual exploitation across more than one city.
According to Khan, the suspects found children aged six to 14 on Instagram. They built trust by sending gifts, prizes, cash transfers, data packages and mobile top-up credit. Once a child trusted them, the suspects allegedly offered lifts on motorcycles and in cars and then recorded exploitative footage.
The footage was then used to blackmail the children and pressure them into helping the group reach other children, Khan said. He added that the videos were sold online to buyers in Pakistan and abroad, and that WhatsApp groups in several cities were used to circulate and trade such material. Material of this kind spreads through private chats, which makes it harder for families to spot.
A separate rescue in Karachi
NCCIA also rescued a 13-year-old girl in Karachi, according to Additional Director Tariq Nawaz. The inquiry began with information from a foreign intelligence agency about suspicious online activity linked to a group allegedly involved in child exploitation. The agency received a tip-off along with an email address and internet protocol (IP) addresses, which are numerical labels assigned to devices online.
Investigators traced the digital footprints to Karachi and found that the person linked to the activity was a victim rather than an offender. The online group had allegedly pushed the girl toward acts of animal cruelty and self-harm.
What parents are being told
Khan urged parents and guardians to stay watchful, keep close track of their children and check their social media activity. The allegations are yet to be tested in court, and the suspects are presumed innocent unless and until a court decides otherwise.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Islamabad mein NCCIA ne chaar logon ko giraftar kiya hai jin par bachon ko Instagram ke zariye phansa kar unki videos bana kar bechne ka ilzaam hai. Pehli giraftari ke baad phone se 50 se 60 videos mili. Karachi mein 13 saal ki bachi ko bachaya gaya aur wo shikar pai gayi, mujrim nahi. Walidain se guzarish hai ke bachon ki online activity aur social media par nazar rakhein.
