• 149 individuals arrested in Faisalabad scam call centre raid, including 48 Chinese nationals.
• The scam involved Ponzi schemes and fraudulent investment activities.
• Authorities seized computers, servers, and foreign SIM cards during the operation.

The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) of Pakistan has arrested 149 individuals, including 48 Chinese nationals, in a raid on a scam call centre in Faisalabad. This operation was prompted by a tip-off about a network that was engaged in Ponzi schemes and investment fraud.

The arrested individuals include 78 Pakistanis and others from various countries, such as Nigeria and the Philippines. Notably, 18 of the arrested are women. Officials stated that victims were often initially shown small returns on investments, which later enticed them to invest larger amounts through misleading schemes, according to TRT and BBC.

During the raid, police seized hundreds of computers, servers, and cryptocurrency exchanges, significantly impacting the operation. The NCCIA indicated that the suspects had also operated WhatsApp groups to recruit victims for various fraudulent activities, transitioning to Telegram for larger investment schemes, according to South China Morning Post and BBC.

Following the arrests, court proceedings commenced, with many suspects placed in remand. The alleged perpetrator's network was said to have operated at the residence of former power grid chief Malik Tehseen Awan, who has not been arrested, according to TRT and BBC.