LAHORE: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has arrested three men for being part of a honey-trap and cyber-blackmailing network.

The arrests were made on Wednesday during a raid in Basti Saleh Mahaye area of Multan by an NCCIA’s Lahore team acting on information about a group allegedly targeting people through social media.

According to the NCCIA spokesperson, the suspects — Dil Hassan, Umar Saeed and Umair Hassan — used fake social media identities to establish contact with victims before moving conversations to WhatsApp. The suspects would then make video calls, obtain private photographs or videos and use the material to threaten victims and demand money, he said and added, the evidence indicating that the group might have collected millions of rupees through the blackmail.

Financial transactions linked to the suspected activity are being examined. He said an initial forensic examination of their cellphones found multiple WhatsApp accounts, photographs, videos and other digital material that the NCCIA was analysing to establish the wider scope of the network.

FIA: The FIA Corporate Crime Circle arrested two suspects for violating the Copyright Act.

The suspects -- Muhammad Shahid and Zahid Abbas -- were arrested during raids conducted in the Bhatta Chowk and Thokar Niaz Baig areas.

A large quantity of counterfeit products of well-known registered companies was recovered from their possession.

The suspects were allegedly manufacturing and selling products of registered companies without authorisation.

Published in Dawn, August 13th, 2026