Pakistan’s National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) arrested 149 people, including 48 Chinese nationals, during a raid on a factory in the city of Faisalabad on Monday, in what authorities are calling a major blow against a transnational cybercrime syndicate. The group allegedly ran a large-scale online fraud operation involving hacking, Ponzi schemes, and investment scams targeting the general public.
The factory, located in Faisalabad’s Shahkot area in Punjab province, was officially registered as a pharmaceutical facility. But according to NCCIA spokesperson Najeeb-ul-Hassan, investigators discovered it was functioning as a sprawling call center used to deceive victims and siphon large sums of money. “Through this fraud network, the general public was being deceived and large sums of money were being extracted,” Hassan told reporters Thursday.
Those arrested were presented in a local court, which granted a 14-day remand for questioning. The detainees include 44 Chinese men and four Chinese women, along with foreign nationals from Nigeria, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, and Myanmar. Pakistani citizens made up the bulk of the arrests, with 76 men and two women detained.
Hassan said the suspects were caught “red-handed” during the operation, which followed a tip-off. “Further investigations in this case are being carried out by the NCCIA in accordance with the law,” he added, calling it “a significant success in Pakistan’s fight against cybercrime.”
Notably, the factory owner—Malik Tahseen Awan, a former chief executive of the Faisalabad Electric Supply Company and a political figure with ties to the ruling Pakistan Muslim League—has not been arrested.
This incident adds to growing international scrutiny over Chinese nationals allegedly involved in cybercrime activities worldwide. While the Faisalabad operation has not been directly linked to state-sponsored actors, it echoes patterns seen in cyber operations associated with China-based groups such as APT31 and APT27.
APT31, believed to operate under China’s Ministry of State Security, has targeted government agencies, dissidents, and political campaigns in the US and Europe. It is known for cyber-espionage and attempts to influence democratic processes abroad. APT27, thought to be affiliated with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, focuses on the aerospace, defense, and technology sectors and is notorious for stealing intellectual property and tracking political opponents.
These advanced persistent threat (APT) groups are part of a broader strategy by Chinese state-linked actors to use cyber tools for intelligence-gathering, suppression of dissent, and global influence.
While Pakistani authorities have not made any claims connecting the Faisalabad network to state-level entities, the arrest of dozens of Chinese nationals highlights ongoing concerns over the presence and role of foreign actors in local and regional cyberfraud schemes. Authorities say the investigation is ongoing and further developments are expected.
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