Lahore (Special Correspondent)
The federal government’s newly formed National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) — established to provide relief and digital security to citizens has been hit by a major corruption scandal involving large-scale bribery, misuse of authority, and illegal activities.
According to official sources, Director General (DG) Waqaruddin Syed has been removed from his position and directed to report to the Establishment Division, while Syed Khurram Ali, who had been serving under the Punjab government, has been appointed as the new DG NCCIA.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) initiated action after receiving a complaint from Aroob Jatoi, wife of well-known YouTuber Saad ur Rehman alias Ducky Bhai. The FIA has registered a case against several NCCIA officials, leading to the arrest of Additional Director Sarfraz Chaudhry and four other employees.
According to the FIR lodged at the FIA Anti-Corruption Circle Lahore, the complainant alleged that certain NCCIA officers abused their powers, conducted unlawful actions, and misused confidential information for personal gain. The initial inquiry revealed that Assistant Director Shoaib Riaz, who was investigating Ducky Bhai’s case, allegedly accepted Rs 9 million in bribes, both in cash and via cheque, to provide undue relief to the accused. The amount was reportedly distributed among other officers.
The FIR further states that the investigating officer also received over USD 326,000 in his Binance cryptocurrency account from Ducky Bhai. It was alleged that NCCIA officers, acting as an organized group, routinely extorted large sums of money from call centers and other entities by threatening legal action.
The complaint also revealed that the bribe money was regularly sent to NCCIA headquarters in Islamabad, where Deputy Director Muhammad Usman allegedly collected it on behalf of senior officials each month.
Following the FIA’s investigation, a local court granted a three-day physical remand of all arrested officers, including Additional Director Sarfraz Chaudhry, for further interrogation.
It may be recalled that YouTuber Ducky Bhai was arrested on August 16 on charges related to online gambling and money laundering.
The case has raised serious questions about corruption and accountability within Pakistan’s cybercrime enforcement agencies.