Child exploitation gang led by German man busted in Muzaffargarh
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Children sit with a placard on a roadside during a protest by members of a civil society, against the rape of a five-year-old girl from Lahore, in Islamabad.—Reuters/File
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ISLAMABAD: German -led international children’s exploitation racket using Muzaffargarh as its base has been created by Pakistan’s National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) over cross -border abuse operations.
Minister of State for Home Affairs, Talal Chaudhry on Tuesday announced the major milestone during a joint press conference with NCCIA Director General Dr. Syed Waqaruddin Syed in Islamabad.
According to officials, the group targeted children between the ages of 6 to 10, most of whom came from poor families.
A so -called “Children’s Club” was established as a front to attract victims. This includes advanced facilities, including high quality cameras, lighting, and recording equipment.
Chaudhry revealed that the children were first given money and then blackmailed in exploitation.
The minister said, “These videos were recorded in a way like a studio and sold thousands of dollars daily on the Dark Web,” the minister added that the German suspect allegedly traveled to Pakistan for 28 days, trained local operators, and set up.
“It was not just a local matter. It was an international operation that was running from inside Pakistan, and we have confirmed that the group is creating and distributing direct content globally.”
The NCCIA May 23 raided a large raid with the support of local police and intelligence agencies. As a result of this operation, at least six children were rescued, who have been handed over to the Punjab Child Protection Bureau. Overall, more than 50 children were identified as victims.
Authorities have so far registered 178 FIRs (first information reports) regarding the exploitation of children. Fourteen of them have already been sentenced to 7-10 years in prison.
During the raid, two suspects were arrested in this particular case, while three others were left on a large scale. Efforts are underway to find and catch them.
The parents of some victims were also involved in deliberately or in exchange for money. The minister said, “It is heartbreaking to say that in some cases, even parents were part of this horrific business.”
The NCCIA implemented the Intelligence obtained from the United States National Center for Missing and Exploits (NCMEC) and Interpol. The agency is equipped with 24/7 monitoring system and cooperates with global organizations to track and prevent online crime against children.
Dr. Waqaruddin added that hundreds of videos were recovered from the studio, and many people were already being circulated through encrypted apps like WhatsApp and Telegram, and was later sold on the Dark Web.
“This is a major development. This is the first time that such a large, organized international network in Pakistan has been exposed and affected,” the DG said. “We are working with Interpol and German authorities to detect and arrest foreign suspects.”
He also highlighted that there are now 71 countries, including access to Interpol’s World Database, which has helped to intensify investigations and international cooperation.
Chaudhry emphasized that new amendments to the Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) have increased from 7-10 years to 14-20 years. These crimes are now non -guaranteed and incredible.
“We are taking the matter very seriously,” he said, “The Prime Minister and the Home Minister have been informed, and we are looking for funds to increase the NCCIA offices across the country. We want a strong cybercrime unit in every district of Pakistan. “
Demanding the media and civil society to support efforts to fight online children online, the minister said: “It was a fight for our children, our future and our moral responsibility.”
