LAHORE — The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) dismantled a sophisticated cybercrime syndicate operating out of Lahore on Thursday, arresting 12 individuals accused of large-scale financial fraud and identity theft.
The operation, led by the agency’s Cybercrime Wing, targeted a residential compound in the city’s Johar Town area. Investigators seized dozens of high-end laptops, mobile devices, and encrypted hardware wallets during the raid. Preliminary forensics suggest the group had been siphoning funds from bank accounts across the country for nearly two years.
The syndicate allegedly operated through a network of phishing sites designed to mimic legitimate banking portals. Once victims entered their credentials, the group drained accounts within minutes, often routing the stolen capital through multiple offshore digital wallets to evade local tracking.
“These suspects weren’t just amateurs,” a senior FIA official told reporters shortly after the operation. “They were using advanced masking software that made it nearly impossible to trace the origin of the attacks until we managed to intercept a specific data packet earlier this week.”
The agency began tracking the group three months ago after a spike in complaints from retail banking customers in Punjab. The trail eventually led to an unassuming suburban house that functioned as a 24-hour digital call center.
While the FIA is currently interrogating the 12 suspects, they are also investigating potential links to international cyber-criminal networks. The agency suspects that some of the stolen funds were converted into cryptocurrency and laundered through platforms located outside of Pakistani jurisdiction.
The suspects are expected to be presented before a local magistrate tomorrow to face charges under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).
The FIA warned that this arrest is merely the beginning of a broader campaign. Authorities are now reviewing the seized hardware, which contains the personal data of thousands of individuals, and have begun the tedious process of notifying the affected banks and victims.
