Islamabad: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has arrested a suspect allegedly involved in selling the personal data of millions of Pakistani citizens online. Authorities also recovered a hard disk containing a massive trove of sensitive information.
According to Express News, the arrest was made following the directives of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who had ordered a high-level inquiry into the case. After several days of investigation, the NCCIA successfully apprehended the suspect, identified as Anis Ahmad Shah, a resident of Bhakkar. A formal case has been registered against him.
Sources revealed that a one-terabyte hard disk containing data of millions of Pakistanis was recovered from the suspect’s possession. The accused had reportedly purchased this data from the black market and was operating over ten websites to sell it online.
Officials added that further investigation is underway to trace others involved, as several websites are still active in selling such stolen data.
The arrest follows an Express News report on September 7, which exposed how Pakistani citizens’ personal details — including CNIC numbers, addresses, and travel histories — were being sold online. Following the report, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had ordered an immediate inquiry.
