21 Arrested in Major Cybercrime Crackdown in Pakistan's Multan and Lahore

In a major international operation, 21 people have been arrested in Pakistan’s cities of Multan and Lahore for their involvement in global cybercrime and digital fraud. The operation was led by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) with help from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Dutch police.

Cybercrime Network Busted

The raids were carried out on May 15 and 16. Authorities uncovered a criminal group called the HeartSender Group, which was behind various online scams and sold illegal cyber tools worldwide.

According to reports, this gang sold phishing kits, fake website templates, and email extractors. These tools were advertised as "undetectable" by security systems. The group even made video tutorials to teach others how to use them for fraud.

Mastermind and Team Members Identified

The mastermind of the group, AmeeZ Shahzad alias Saim Raza, operated from Lahore along with several others. His father Muhammad Aslam, and others including Atif Hussain, Muhammad Umar Irshad, Yasir Ali, Syed Saim Ali Shah, Muhammad Nowsherwan, Burhanul Haq, Adnan Munawar, and Abdul Moiz were also arrested in Lahore.

From Multan, key figures included Hussnain Haider (head of Multan operations), Bilal Ahmad, Dilbar Hussain, Muhammad Adeel Akram, Awais Rasool, Usama Farooq, Usama Mehmood, and Hamad Nawaz.

Evidence Recovered

During the raids, investigators seized 32 digital devices, including servers containing proof of cybercrime activities. Luxury cars like a Lamborghini Urus and documents showing investments in Dubai were also found.

International Impact

NCCIA officials said the group’s tools were linked to over $50 million in financial losses in the United States. European authorities are investigating 63 more cases involving the same network.

NCCIA’s Additional Director Abdul Ghaffar described the group as “a cybercrime university that empowered fraudsters globally.”

Legal Action Taken

The suspects have been charged under Pakistan’s Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016 and other criminal laws. Their names have also been added to the Exit Control List (ECL) to prevent them from leaving the country.

Investigations are ongoing, and authorities are working with international partners to uncover the full extent of the cybercrime network.