Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar on Thursday revealed that a major operation conducted by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency against an internationally organised cybercrime network led to the arrest of 15 foreign nationals and 19 Pakistani citizens.

The suspects were reportedly involved in defrauding citizens through online investment scams.

Speaking at a press conference alongside NCCIA Additional Director Tariq Nawaz in Karachi, Lanjar said the suspects used social media to lure victims into investing in cryptocurrency and forex schemes.

They created fake login portals to make victims believe they were using legitimate investment platforms and promised high returns to entice them.

The minister explained that illegal call centres have become hubs of criminal activity and are being used to carry out large-scale international fraud.

On December 18, the NCCIA conducted an intelligence-based raid on an unauthorised call centre located in DHA Phase 6, Karachi, resulting in the arrests. Among the detainees were two women, he added.

“The suspects were defrauding individuals living abroad by promising returns on fake investments,” Lanjar said.

“Preliminary investigations indicate that the fraud involved transactions totalling around $60 million, with the stolen funds being transferred in Bitcoin and US dollars.”

During the operation, authorities recovered 37 computers, 40 mobile phones, and over 10,000 SIM cards from the suspects.

Lanjar emphasised that the Sindh government will continue its crackdown on illegal call centres and will not allow anyone to take the law into their own hands.

NCCIA officials said that the suspects were tracked through monitoring of fake accounts, adding that investigations are ongoing.

Authorities are also examining the network’s other facilitators and potential international connections.