NCCIA Arrests 36 in Raids on Scam Call Centres in Lahore
NCCIA raids illegal call centres in Lahore's Faisal Town and Johar Town, arresting 36 suspects accused of cheating people abroad.
The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has arrested 36 people in raids on illegal call centres in Lahore. The agency says the suspects were cheating people who live in other countries. The raids were carried out in Faisal Town and Johar Town, and the agency announced the arrests on Sunday, October 4.
This is the latest in a long run of raids on scam call centres across Pakistan. Since September 22, the NCCIA has announced the arrest of more than 370 people in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Karachi and Islamabad.
What happened in Lahore
According to an NCCIA spokesperson, the suspects used dial-up software to call people abroad. This kind of software dials a large number of phone numbers automatically, so a small team can reach many people in a short time. A report by 24NewsHD said the callers offered fake deals, such as mobile phone upgrades, network packages and other telecom services.
Officers took a large number of computers, laptops and mobile phones from the call centres. The agency says these devices held software and data linked to the fraud. Several vehicles were also taken into custody, because investigators suspect they were bought with money earned from crime.
The two operations were linked. Officials said information found during the first raid led the team to a second call centre. When officers reached it, security guards at the premises tried to stop them, but the team still completed the operation.
The NCCIA said all digital evidence was seized and sealed as the law requires, so that it can be used in court later. The agency said the action was part of its effort to protect Pakistan's digital and financial reputation.
A busy few weeks of raids
The Lahore raids came less than a week after a large operation in Rawalpindi. On September 28, the NCCIA arrested 61 people at a call centre in the commercial market of Satellite Town. Officials said the suspects pretended to be loan recovery agents and frightened people abroad into paying money. Officers seized 71 mobile phones and 155 laptops, and a case was registered.
A day before that, the agency arrested more than 70 people in two raids in Karachi's PECHS area. Those suspects were accused of targeting people in the United States with false offers of new credit cards and cheap financial services. In Islamabad on September 22, the NCCIA took 212 people into custody, including Chinese nationals, from three call centres in sectors E-11 and G-10. Officials said that group pretended to be Google staff and also ran fake dating schemes.
The table below shows the main call centre raids announced by the NCCIA in recent weeks.
Date (2026) | City and area | People arrested | Alleged fraud |
|---|---|---|---|
August 14 | Islamabad, Gulberg Greens | 114 foreigners | Online romance and blackmail schemes |
Mid September | Karachi, Shahrah e Faisal | 27 | Posing as staff of US banks |
September 22 | Islamabad, E-11 and G-10 | 212 | Fake Google tasks and dating scams |
September 27 | Karachi, PECHS | More than 70 | Fake credit card offers to Americans |
September 28 | Rawalpindi, Satellite Town | 61 | Threats in the name of loan recovery |
October 4 | Lahore, Faisal Town and Johar Town | 36 | Fake mobile and network offers |
Why these raids matter for Pakistan
The NCCIA was set up in April 2025 under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016. It took over all the work of the old cybercrime wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi became its Director General in September 2026. He has said the agency follows a zero tolerance policy and will keep up strong operations against illegal call centres.
In a recent editorial, Dawn said fake call centres are a growing threat to the reputation of honest Pakistani tech businesses and of the country itself. The newspaper also said genuine call centres must not be harassed during the crackdown, while shady outfits must be investigated and taken to court.
The fight has faced problems inside the agency as well. In November 2025, the FIA registered a case naming 10 NCCIA officers, along with foreign nationals, over claims that officers took money from illegal call centres in Rawalpindi and Islamabad in return for protection.
What happens next
The NCCIA says further investigation will find out who owns the Lahore call centres, how deeply each arrested person was involved and who else was connected to the operation. None of the allegations has been proven in court yet. The 36 suspects are accused, not convicted, and their cases will now go through the legal process.
These cases also carry a lesson for young people looking for work. In the Karachi PECHS raids, the agency arrested not only the owners and managers but also ordinary call agents. Anyone offered a calling job that involves foreign customers should check the company carefully before joining.
People in Pakistan who receive suspicious calls or lose money to online fraud can report it at the nearest NCCIA circle office.