Crackdown Launched Against Illegal Call Centers Across Pakistan

The Pakistani federal government has announced a significant crackdown on illegal call centers operating across the nation, following the unsuccessful efforts of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency's Operation Grey, reports ARY News. To combat this issue, a new task force has been established, comprised of officers from various sensitive agencies, including the Federal Investigation Agency's Cyber Crime Wing, the National Forensic Agency, the federal police, and district administrations.

This task force will operate under the FIA headquarters and will also involve the federal police and district administration.

All relevant agencies have been directed to support the task force, which will focus on investigating instances of blackmail, gambling, and fraudulent schemes. The Ministry of Interior will be kept informed on a daily basis regarding the actions taken against these call centers.

It has been reported that a list of call centers operating in Karachi has been compiled to facilitate further action. This decision follows the detention of 275 foreign nationals on Thursday, during an operation at an illegal call center in Islamabad's Sector I-10/3. The FIA and National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) apprehended the suspects, who were found involved in unethical content creation.

The detained individuals originated from various countries, including China. The criminal activities taking place at the call center involved the hiring of foreign men and women to create immoral content. The NCCIA filed cases under the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PECA) Act, while the FIA registered cases under the Foreigners Act against the detained individuals.