NCCIA arrests man over massive data breach involving millions of Pakistanis

The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has arrested a man for allegedly selling the personal data of millions of Pakistani citizens online, officials said on Friday. A hard disk reportedly containing sensitive information was recovered from the suspect, highlighting the scale of the breach. 

The suspect has been identified as Anees Ahmed Shah, a resident of Bhakkar, who is now under interrogation and faces a registered case for his alleged role. According to the agency, Shah was operating more than ten separate websites to facilitate the sale of citizens’ personal data, obtained from the black market. 

Authorities recovered a one-terabyte hard disk from Shah’s possession. The disk allegedly contained millions of personal records. The discovery came after Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, ordered an investigation into reports of widespread data leaks. The NCCIA formed a special investigation committee, which resulted in the arrest after several days of inquiry. 

Shah’s arrest was followed by prior findings that 139 online platforms, including mobile apps, websites and social-media accounts, were involved in illegally trading Pakistani citizens’ data. 

Reports further reveal the distressing nature of this market, websites offering mobile-phone locations, national identity card numbers, travel records and call logs for sale. 

Investigators say the network is still active and that Shah’s arrest is just the start. Authorities are working to identify additional members of this mafia and shut down other websites that remain operational. The case highlights wider concerns about Pakistan’s data-security frameworks and the vulnerability of personal information in the digital ecosystem. 

As the investigation expands, further arrests are expected to prevent such large scale data breaches and illicit data-trading networks from taking root.