LAHORE: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) on Saturday arrested 37 suspects during a raid on an illegal call centre in Lahore for its alleged involvement in defrauding citizens of the USA and Canada through a fake mobile phone sales scheme.

NCCIA Lahore Zone Additional Director Atif Ameer told reporters that a raid in Johar Town Phase-I led to the arrest of 37 suspects from the illegal call centre.

The suspects, he said, were using online dial-up and voice over internet protocol (VoIP) software to contact citizens in the US and Canada posing as representatives of mobile service providers. They offered mobile phones for sale and obtained customers’ credit and debit card details, which were subsequently used for unauthorised financial transactions, he added.

The NCCIA seized 80 digital devices, including 40 laptops, 35 mobile phones and five CPUs, for forensic examination and collection of evidence.

Atif Ameer said the call centre was owned by Hafiz Ali Ahmad who was not present during the raid.

A case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, and the Pakistan Penal Code.

This week the NCCIA had arrested 281 suspects, including 21 foreign nationals and 20 women during raids on eight illegal call centres.

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2026