RAWALPINDI: A commercial building in a housing society in Islamabad, where more than 500 foreigners were housed, was declared a sub-jail after official sources reported illegal activities related to “cybercrime”.

According to the reports, barbed wire was laid around the building, and a heavy police deployment was made.

The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has also been on board, with a team visiting the building on Tuesday night, sources said.

Initially, some police prison vans were brought there apparently to shift the foreigners to jail, but later it was decided to declare the building a sub-jail instead of moving such a large number of people to jail.

In addition to Islamabad police personnel, a Punjab Highway Patrol (PHP) contingent has been deployed there to strengthen security. The chief commissioner Islamabad has issued a notification declaring the building a sub-jail.

Senior officials of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) have been verifying the travel documents of the foreigners housed in the building, sources said.

Published in Dawn, August 13th, 2026