In a major shake-up within the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), the government on Tuesday removed the agency’s head, Waqaruddin Syed, from his position.
According to a report by Dawn News, the decision came after serious corruption allegations surfaced against nine NCCIA officers, who are accused of taking bribes and abusing their authority. Out of the nine, six NCCIA officers were produced before the court and handed over to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on a three-day physical remand.
The accused officials are reportedly linked to irregularities in several investigations, including the case involving YouTuber Saad ur Rehman, popularly known as Ducky Bhai.
Following his removal, DG NCCIA Waqaruddin Syed has been directed to report to the Establishment Division, while Syed Khurram Ali, a BPS-21 officer of the Police Service of Pakistan, has been appointed as the new head. Khurram Ali previously served with the Punjab government.
Meanwhile, several NCCIA officers — including Additional Director Sarfraz (Lahore), Deputy Director (Acting In-Charge) Muhammad Zawar Ahmed, Assistant Directors Shoaib Riaz and Mujtaba Zafar, and Sub-Inspectors Ali Raza and Yasir Ramzan — who had reportedly been “missing” for several weeks, were brought to court in handcuffs before Judicial Magistrate Naeem Wattoo. They were remanded to FIA custody for three days.
During the hearing, the FIA prosecutor informed the court that the accused officers had accepted bribes and misused their powers in a case involving a YouTuber who allegedly promoted gambling apps on social media.
Defense counsel Mian Ali Ashfaq argued that the legal procedure for arrest had not been properly followed.
According to the FIA, the case was registered on a complaint filed by Aroob Jatoi, the wife of YouTuber Saad ur Rehman. She alleged that the concerned officers had taken over Rs. 100 million in local and foreign currency as bribes and had grossly misused their authority.
The FIA also named three additional officials — Deputy Director (Islamabad) Muhammad Usman (whose wife has filed a missing person petition in the Islamabad High Court), Deputy Director Ayaz Khan, and Inspector Salman Aziz — as suspects in the ongoing investigation.
All nine accused officers have been booked under Sections 109 and 161 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), read with Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947.
An internal inquiry revealed that these officers allegedly operated as a network that collected monthly bribes from call centers, aggregator companies, and individuals involved in online fraud schemes. They would keep their share and distribute the remaining money among other members of the “official group.”
A government source alleged that the NCCIA — established in May to replace the FIA’s Cyber Crime Wing — had become part of the problem instead of solving it.
Reports also suggest that some complaints regarding the exploitation of women were received against certain members of the agency, further deepening the scandal.
