KARACHI: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has prevented a teenage girl in Karachi from causing self-harm after being influenced by a group operating on the dark web, an official told Dawn on Friday.

NCCIA Karachi Additional Director Tariq Nawaz said action by the agency was taken after they received a lead from a foreign crime investigation agency, which he did not name.

The agency also shared an email, he said, adding that the NCCIA then tracked the relevant user internet protocol (IP) address.

The official separately explained while speaking on Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath’ that information had been shared with the NCCIA that a group operating on the dark web had been influencing people to commit violent acts.

He added that once the NCCIA was able to track down the affected girl, it transpired during a probe that she had been exposed to the group through social media. “She then engaged with them on a messaging application and was being assigned different tasks.”

Nawaz said the tasks also included harming her pet, and the NCCIA was able to trace her before she could complete the next task, which was causing self-harm.

He also said the devices in the girl’s use had been analysed and taken into custody for further examination.

Speaking to Dawn, the official said the girl’s parents told the NCCIA that their daughter’s behaviour had changed over the past three or four months; she remained upset but did not divulge anything when the parents insisted that she share some information as to whether she was facing problems.

Nawaz said an investigation was ongoing and the NCCIA was working to ascertain other possible victims and perpetrators involved in similar activities.

The NCCIA official said “psychological counselling” had been provided to the girl to help her recover from “trauma”.

The NCCIA had received another tip-off from a foreign agency earlier this month in another case involving a teenager, who was sent to jail on judicial remand for allegedly attempting to poison his father after seeking help from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots.

The suspect, who was inspired by an OTT crime series, allegedly procured chemical substances from Australia and Islamabad and even set up a small laboratory at his house to prepare the poison. The boy allegedly also used AI tools and online platforms to seek information regarding poisonous chemicals and discussed ways to poison his father with AI bots.

On receiving a tip-off from a US agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the NCCIA conducted a raid at the suspect’s house and arrested him on Sept 23.