The National cyber crime investigation agency corruption scandal was a bribery and corruption scandal in Pakistan. In late 2025 it was discovered that senior officers were accused of taking bribes, running extortion and âÂÂprotectionâ schemes, and working with foreign nationals who ran fake call centers. Following this, a case was filed against 10 NCCIA officers, several Additional, deputy directors, some foreign nationals and their spouses. they are accused of taking millions of rupees from illegal call centers in Rawalpindi and Islamabad in exchange for protection while those centers carried out online fraud.
The NCCIA that is tasked with investigating and combating cybercrime in Pakistan, uncovered that a mafia is operating within the organization, in various levels. Several senior officials were accused of shielding 15 illegal call centers run mostly by foreign nationals, targeting local and international victims through various online scams. They were extorted for monthly bribes of around Rs15 million per month, over an eight-month period, between September 2024 to April 2025, with extortion sums reaching around Rs120 million and bribes exceeding Rs250 million.
According to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) report, a case was filed in November 2025 against, ten officers of the NCCIA, including two additional directors and several mid level officers, were involved in a Rs 250 million bribery network. The network extorted money by operating fifteen illegal call centers run mainly by foreign nationals, located in a private housing society in Rawalpindi. these call centers carried out a large scale online fraud. NCCIA officers that were aware of these illegal activities, protected them in exchange for about Rs 15 million each month.
The FIA formed special teams to arrest and charge the officers involved in corruption. One major operation at a call center in Sector F-11, Islamabad, resulted in the arrest of 14 Chinese nationals. During this raid, it was claimed that bribes totaling Rs21 million were taken to release detainees, with detailed records of how the money was distributed among the officers. One woman reportedly paid Rs8 million for her husband's release after being threatened and extorted, with videos of his torture sent to her. The inquiry focuses on holding people accountable and aims to cleanse the NCCIA, which was believed to be compromised by a cybercrime mafia. Several officers have been dismissed, and investigations are still ongoing to eliminate corruption within the agency.
After public and internal protests, many NCCIA officials who were accused of corruption were arrested, with some kept in custody for longer. The government started a major reform of NCCIA to fight corruption, increase transparency, and restore trust. The FIA set up special teams to investigate the suspects and protect the integrity of cybercrime enforcement. The scandal revealed serious weaknesses and a lack of accountability within Pakistan's cybercrime agencies, leading to demands for better supervision and civilian monitoring.