ISLAMABAD – The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has decided to place 671 foreign nationals arrested during raids on call centres on Pakistan’s foreign blacklist.
Under the proposed action, the individuals would be permanently barred from entering Pakistan again. Sources said evidence had emerged linking the arrested foreigners to alleged illegal activities.
The FIA has also decided to investigate their local contacts to identify other individuals who may have been part of the networks and bring them within the scope of the law.
Reports said the Foreign Office has been informed so that the relevant countries can also be notified about the alleged offences involving their nationals.
The arrested individuals were allegedly involved in fraud, blackmail and other unlawful activities. Some were also allegedly found involved in the international sale of explicit live-streamed content online.
The investigation into the suspects’ local connections is expected to help authorities determine the wider scope of the alleged networks operating through the call centres.
Meanwhile, the Pakistani government has decided to take strict action against illegal call centres following revelations of alleged cyber fraud and an international network involved in the distribution of explicit content, according to sources.
The federal government has approved a nationwide crackdown on illegal call centres. A task force will operate under the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) headquarters and will submit daily reports on operations against call centres to the Ministry of Interior.
The task force will investigate allegations involving extortion, blackmail, gambling and online scams, sources said.
A list of call centres operating in Karachi has also reportedly been prepared. Relevant government institutions have been directed to provide full cooperation to the task force during its operations.
About the Author
