The Cybercrime Wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) announced the arrest of nine suspects on Friday. The suspects were involved in blackmailing people who borrowed money from the loan app mafia.
As quoted by Express Tribune, the spokesperson of FIA said that the operations were carried out in the area of Saidpur Road. In addition, the federal agency has launched investigations against 19 other possible culprits.
During the operation, Inspector Badar Munir shut down several offices belonging to the company in question, all situated within a business complex.
The statement explained that the arrested individuals were tasked with making between 100 and 150 calls daily to people who had used the loan apps, along with their friends and relatives.
The offices had designated sections for these threatening calls, labeled D-0, D-1, D-2, DS-1, DS-2, and DS-3, each with specific duties.
The statement stressed that these loan apps were used to gain access to users’ private data such as personal photos, contacts, etc., which were then exploited to harass the victims.
During the operation, FIA seized several items, including documents, computers, laptops, and SIM cards. The agency confirmed that the suspects are currently in custody and further investigations are underway, with more raids being planned to nab the remaining blackmailers.
Meanwhile, a similar case emerged in Karachi, where a citizen raised a complaint regarding online loan app blackmail with the FIA’s Cybercrime unit in the city. However, no action has been reported as yet.
The crackdown comes after a tragic incident involving 42-year-old Muhammad Masood who took his own life due to unmanageable pressure and threats from loan app mafia.
Masood had initially borrowed Rs. 13,000 but due to missed repayments and mounting interest, his debt ballooned to over Rs. 700,000.
The suspects threatened Masood, saying they would leak his private data from his phone. Masood, in his final message, detailed the blackmail and pressure he faced from the loan app criminals.
Following Masood’s suicide, an FIA team of three members collected his mobile phone for investigation. They also examined his email communications, including those with the digital lender, and took statements from his wife and brother.
Via Express Tribune
