Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Composite Circle has filed a case against three officers and their associates for alleged corruption, bribery, extortion, and abuse of authority. The accused were arrested following a corruption scandal at the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) in Gujranwala. The NCCIA is accused of releasing fraud suspects after taking bribes amounting to millions of rupees.
Reports from intelligence agencies and a citizen’s complaint prompted the FIA to take action and register a First Information Report (FIR). The complainant, Muzammil Iqbal, from Garden Town, Gujranwala, alleged that FIA Cyber Crime Wing officers were extorting large sums from accused individuals with the help of private associates.
On February 2, 2025, unidentified individuals claiming to be FIA officials entered Iqbal’s home, held his family members hostage, confiscated mobile phones, and subjected male family members to torture. The victims were then blindfolded and confined to a room. The complainant reported that cash, mobile phones, a laptop, a car, and ATM cards were seized, and his family was interrogated about online business activities and cryptocurrency at the FIA Cyber Crime office.
Victims were coerced into making substantial payments in cash, cryptocurrency, and bank transactions to avoid legal consequences. While some items were returned later, a significant amount of cash and a mobile phone were not recovered. Another victim, Salman Raza, claimed that his family was abducted, tortured, and demanded Rs 50 million. Muzammil Iqbal stated that after negotiations with FIA personnel, a settlement was reached for Rs 30 million, of which Rs 3 million in cash and around Rs 1.5 million through bank and ATM transactions were paid before their release.
