Online fraud: NCCIA arrests former Fesco chairman

FAISALABAD: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has arrested former Fesco chairman Tahseen Awan for allegedly masterminding a massive online fraud network in collaboration with a Chinese gang.

Awan was detained during a late-night raid led by NCCIA Faisalabad Assistant Director Asif Iqbal. He is accused of forging documents, creating fake company agreements, and supplying bogus passport numbers and data to national security institutions, putting Pakistan’s national security at risk.

According to investigators, Awan concealed the presence of 62 out of 72 foreign nationals under scrutiny and provided fake records for nine others. The NCCIA said several companies and agreements presented by Awan were non-existent or fraudulent. The agency has appointed Assistant Director Arshad Ali Rizvi as the lead investigation officer and sought Awan’s physical remand to recover digital evidence.

On Friday, Awan, along with 11 Chinese nationals and one Myanmar citizen, was presented in court. The court granted five-day physical remand for Awan and four-day remand for Chinese suspects, while Myanmar national Sun Sun Li, believed to be the team head, was sent to jail on judicial remand until August 1. The suspects are scheduled to be presented in court again on July 22 and 23. The arrest highlights growing concerns over international cyber fraud networks operating in Pakistan and their impact on national security and financial systems.