Court grants bail in illegal call centre fraud case

A judicial magistrate has approved the bail applications of 26 suspects arrested in connection with an alleged fraud operation involving an illegal call centre accused of targeting foreign nationals.

The court directed each accused to submit surety bonds worth Rs50,000 for release on bail.

According to the prosecution, the suspects were arrested during a raid conducted by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency on an illegal call centre allegedly involved in online fraud activities.

Investigators told the court that the accused were reportedly using foreign citizens’ personal information for unlawful financial transactions and fund transfers. Authorities claimed that the operation was part of a broader cyber fraud network targeting individuals outside Pakistan.

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The prosecution further stated that preliminary forensic analysis recovered foreign nationals’ data from the suspects during the raid. Officials alleged that the data was being used for fraudulent purposes, including unauthorised transactions and online financial scams.

The case has drawn attention to the growing issue of cybercrime and illegal digital operations in the country. Authorities have increasingly intensified crackdowns on unregistered call centres and online fraud schemes allegedly involved in identity theft, phishing and financial scams targeting international victims.

Legal proceedings in the case are expected to continue as investigators examine digital evidence and financial records recovered during the operation. Officials have not yet disclosed the total amount allegedly involved in the fraud or the number of affected victims.

The court’s decision to grant bail does not conclude the case, and the suspects will continue to face investigation and legal proceedings under Pakistan’s cybercrime and fraud laws.