Threatening email to NZ cricket team: Indian suspect booked by FIA’s Cyber Wing

ISLAMABAD: The Cyber Crime Wing of the FIA has registered a case Wednesday against a suspect from India under Section 10 (Cyber Terrorism) of PECA 2016 and Sections 506, 109 PPC, for sending threatening email to the New Zealand cricket team.

The information ministry sources said an email ID was created on September 17 in the name of Hamza Afridi from India, using a VPN and it sent a threatening email to the New Zealand cricket team. “The device that was used to send the email to New Zealand team belongs to India,” the sources claimed.

The FIR no. 76/2021 registered on the complaint of Mohammad Waseem Khan, Sub-Inspector FIA Cybercrime Reporting Centre, Islamabad, said; “Consequent upon conclusion of inquiry no. 950/2021 on the basis of information received from Interpol Wallington through NCB Interpol Pakistan vide letter no:EA/03/(NZ-1)NCB/2021-8115 on 22.9.21 regarding threatening email received from email account -hamzaafridi7899@gmail.com to information@police.govt.nz on 18.9.21 at 6.25 am with subject: “Terror attack coming” having text ie “Dear New Zealand cricket you did wrong to Pakistan and now see what happens to you, your cricket team is not going anywhere now in every places, bombs will be placed from your hotel to your flight and my men will not forgive you they’re coming New Zealand #PakistanZindabad Allah huakbar”. Interpol Wallington sent the emergency request with respect to Gmail account from where the threat originated. The details provided by Google indicate that the IP used to create email account is form Singapore IP and the associated device in which email account ie hamzaafridi7899@gmail.com is connected in India. The IP address from last data connection 2409:4053:2e9f:1527:8d44:6d78:32b1:fb33; country of last data connection: Sept 18, 2021, 12:35:06 am UTC and associated device is connecting in India and the Gmail account via Singapore which appears to be Virtual Private Network (VPN).

The android device used for email account is Android ID:3924807379448124584: MEID(s):86749104337073; IMEI(s):867491043370736, IMEI(s):867491043370728, Serial No(s): RMX1971:b1873c5a and different email accounts associated in the device are “jaryans13@gmail.com, progamerxxxx356@gmail.com, chutmarika66@gmail.com lalheeralalloda123-45@gmail.com aarohi1235578@gmail.com, akshitalakshay@gmail.com, agarwalakshita79@gmail.com, rishabh6438@gmail.com, shibbusingh7678@gmail.com venomgamer12355@gmail.com, pappubhosdi6@gmail.com, rishabbjainddn@gmail.com, hamzanfridi7899@gmail.com. The email was sent to New Zealand Police with the ulterior motives to coerce, intimidate and create fear, panic, insecurity in the government, public and create threat to international peace.

The purpose of the email was to deteriorate relations with countries and cricket member countries. From the facts mentioned above, sufficient incrementing evidence came on record that user of the email address ie hamzaafridi7899@gmail.com using the data connection from India committed the offences under Section 10 (Cyber Terrorism) r/w Section 506, 109 PPC 1860. Consequently, a case FIR is made out against the user of the email account ie hamzanfridi7899@gmail.com. Competent authority has accorded permission for registration of case. So the case is registered, copies of the FIR are being sent to the quarters concerned”. The FIA, widening the investigation, has initiated marking the racket involved in sending threats to the families of the New Zealand cricketers and its government, the sources concluded.