FIA Catches NCCIA Officials Taking Bribes From Scam Chinese Call Centers

The Federal Investigation Agency has registered another First Information Report against officials of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency in connection with facilitating and extorting illegal Chinese-run call centres operating in Bahria Town. According to the FIR registered by ACC Islamabad, a massive corruption and extortion scandal has shaken the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), Rawalpindi, after an internal enquiry (No. 326/2025) exposed the involvement of several senior officials and private individuals in facilitating and extorting illegal Chinese-run call centres operating in Bahria Town. At least 15 illegal call centres, including MAKJ International Pvt. Ltd. and C Dragon Casino, were found to be operating under the alleged protection of NCCIA officers. These call centres, reportedly managed by Chinese nationals, were engaged in online fraud schemes targeting the public while employing Pakistani staff at high salaries. The enquiry revealed that the first extortion network was allegedly operated under the supervision of Additional Director Shahzad Haider, Deputy Director Haider Abbas, and Sub-Inspector Muhammad Bilal, with their private frontman, Hassan Ameer. The group is accused of extorting around Rs. 120 million between September 2024 and April 2025. Each call centre reportedly paid Rs. 1 million per month as a “protection fee.” The alleged distribution of funds was as follows: Shahzad Haider (Additional Director): Rs. 550,000 per call centre; Haider Abbas (Deputy Director): Rs. 200,000; Muhammad Bilal (Sub-Inspector): Rs. 200,000; and Hassan Ameer (Frontman): Rs. 50,000. Sub-Inspector Bilal was further accused of demanding an additional Rs. 800,000 “cooperation fee” from each newly established call centre. In one high-profile incident, Bilal and another officer, Sub-Inspector Mian Irfan (NCCIA Islamabad), allegedly extorted Rs. 40 million from a Chinese national named Leo during a raid in Islamabad’s Sector F-11. Following departmental transfers in May 2025, a new group of NCCIA officials allegedly continued the same extortion practices. The new team included Additional Director Amir Nazir, Assistant Director (Acting Deputy Director) Nadeem Ahmad Khan, Deputy Director (Anti-Blasphemy Unit) Salman Awan, and Sub-Inspector Sarim Ali. Their operations were reportedly facilitated by Tahir Mohi-ud-Din, acting as frontman for Sub-Inspector Sarim Ali. The enquiry further uncovered that Sarim Ali and his team had arrested 14 Chinese nationals, including Guo Kaixuan alias Kelvin, identified as the main intermediary between the call centres and NCCIA officials. Kelvin was married to a Pakistani woman, Ms. Areeba Rubab. Investigators reported that after Kelvin’s arrest, Sub-Inspector Sarim Ali, through his frontman Tahir Mohi-ud-Din, demanded Rs. 20 million from Ms. Rubab to secure the release of her husband and 13 other detainees. She allegedly paid the amount in three instalments: Rs. 12 million, Rs. 8 million, and Rs. 1 million. The enquiry also states that Sarim Ali sent videos of Kelvin being tortured with iron rods to his wife via WhatsApp’s “one-time view” feature to pressure her into paying the bribe. Out of the Rs. 21 million extorted, the alleged distribution was: Sarim Ali (Sub-Inspector): Rs. 1.7 million; Usman Basharat (Sub-Inspector): Rs. 14 million; Zaheer Abbas Niazi (Sub-Inspector): Rs. 1 million; and Nadeem Ahmad Khan (Assistant Director): Rs. 9.5 million (including Rs. 7 million allegedly given to Additional Director Amir Nazir). On July 16, 2025, NCCIA conducted another raid at MAKJ International Pvt. Ltd. in Bahria Town, arresting seven more Chinese nationals. Following the operation, Sub-Inspector Sarim Ali allegedly received Rs. 15 million in bribes near Tehzeeb Bakery, I-8 Markaz, Islamabad, keeping Rs. 12 million and giving Rs. 3 million to his frontman, Tahir Mohi-ud-Din. The enquiry estimates that the first group of NCCIA officers extorted Rs. 250 million from call centres. The succeeding group extracted an additional Rs. 50 million. A criminal case has been registered against 13 accused individuals, including high-ranking NCCIA officers and private accomplices, under Sections 109, 161, 386, and 420 PPC read with Section 5(2)47 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947. The accused include Shahzad Haider (Additional Director), Haider Abbas (Deputy Director), Muhammad Bilal (Sub-Inspector), Hassan Ameer (Private Individual/Frontman), Amir Nazir (Additional Director), Nadeem Ahmad Khan (Assistant Director), Salman Awan (Deputy Director, NCCIA), Sarim Ali (Sub-Inspector), Usman Basharat (Sub-Inspector), Zaheer Abbas Niazi (Sub-Inspector), Tahir Mohi-ud-Din (Private Individual/Frontman), Mian Irfan (Sub-Inspector/SHO), and Guo Kaixuan alias Kelvin (Chinese National, Passport No. EJ7505331). A special investigation team has been constituted, comprising AD Muhammad Safeer Ahmed, Inspector Muhammad Waheed Khan, and Sub-Inspector Shamas Gondal (SHO ACC Islamabad). Officials said the roles of additional individuals, if found involved, will be determined during the ongoing investigation.