The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has informed a Lahore court that it has recovered more than Rs 42.5 million from senior officers of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Authority (NCCIA), who were arrested on charges of bribery, corruption, and abuse of authority.
According to the FIA’s report, the recovered amount includes Rs 12.548 million from Additional Director Chaudhry Sarfraz, Rs 7 million from Sub-Inspector Ali Raza, Rs 3.648 million from Assistant Director Shoaib Riaz, Rs 1.9 million from Sub-Inspector Yasir Ramzan, and Rs 9 million from Deputy Director Zawar Ahmed.
The FIA lawyer requested a 14-day physical remand, but the judicial magistrate extended custody for three more days.
The case revolves around allegations that NCCIA officers accepted a Rs 9 million bribe from the family of YouTuber Saad-ur-Rehman, popularly known as Ducky Bhai, who was arrested for allegedly promoting gambling apps. The bribe was allegedly paid to secure relief for him and his wife during the investigation.
The accused include six NCCIA officers, Additional Director Sarfraz Chaudhry, Deputy Director Zawar Ahmed, Assistant Directors Shoaib Riaz and Mujtaba Zafar, Deputy Director Operations Muhammad Usman, and Deputy Director Ayaz Khan, along with two sub-inspectors and a civilian, Usman Aziz, described as a “frontman.”
The case has taken dramatic turns. Deputy Director Muhammad Usman, initially reported missing from Islamabad, was later confirmed to be in FIA custody. In a written statement, he admitted he had gone into hiding out of fear of investigation, not due to kidnapping.
The FIR alleges that Assistant Director Shoaib Riaz not only received bribes but also transferred $326,000 through Binance using his brother-in-law’s account. Investigators claim the officers operated as a network, extracting money from call centers and online fraud cases, distributing funds among themselves, and sending portions to NCCIA headquarters officials.
The FIA maintains the case was registered after a complaint by Aroob Jatoi, wife of Ducky Bhai, who alleged that NCCIA officers colluded with her husband’s lawyer and intermediaries to demand and distribute bribe money.
The scandal has raised serious concerns about corruption within Pakistan’s cybercrime watchdog, with observers warning it undermines public trust in institutions meant to combat online fraud.