Pakistan arrests ex-power company chief over ties to global scam ring

Pakistani authorities arrested on Friday the former chief of the Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (FESCO) in connection with what officials say is the country’s largest international online fraud operation to date.

Malik Tahseen Awan was taken into custody by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) after a new, eighth criminal case was registered against him in Faisalabad. He had earlier secured interim bail in seven separate cases related to the scam.

Officials said the FESCO ex-chairman colluded with a Chinese gang to forge documents, supply bogus data to national security institutions, and establish fake companies that existed only on paper.

The NCCIA said he endangered national security by providing fabricated passport numbers and false personal information of foreign nationals to law enforcement. Investigators also uncovered fraudulent agreements made in the names of non-existent companies.

The NCCIA says the suspects had been operating an illegal call center and running online scams that targeted individuals and financial institutions in multiple countries.Courtesy: National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency

Awan is expected to be presented in a local court today, and the authorities will request his physical remand for further investigation.

Assistant Director Arshad Ali Rizvi has been appointed as the lead investigation officer in the case.

Raids and arrests

The arrest follows a July 8 raid on a private factory owned by Awan in Faisalabad, during which 80 Pakistanis and more than 70 foreigners were detained.

Officials said 72 of the foreign nationals were never reported to law enforcement agencies, effectively hidden from authorities. Nine names listed in documents turned out to be fake.

The NCCIA said the suspects had been operating an illegal call center and running online scams that targeted individuals and financial institutions in multiple countries.

How did the network operate?

The July 8 operation was part of an ongoing crackdown by the NCCIA, which had previously described the network as a billion-rupee cybercrime syndicate.

Authorities said the fraud ring used social media platforms and messaging apps to execute online Ponzi schemes, impersonate government welfare programs, and scam individuals using fake prize offers.

Officials say Awan colluded with a Chinese gang to forge documents, supply bogus data to national security institutions, and establish fake companies that existed only on paper.Courtesy: National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency

Several foreign women arrested during the earlier raid were accused of posing as agents for fraudulent schemes, including the Benazir Income Support Program - a government-led cash handout program for underprivileged women - to deceive victims into transferring money.

Recovered items included mobile phones, SIM cards, and other tools allegedly used to carry out the fraud.

Escaped earlier, now caught

At the time of the initial raid, Awan had reportedly evaded capture and gone into hiding. The NCCIA later sought to have his name added to Pakistan’s Provisional National Identification List (PNIL) to prevent him from fleeing the country.

His arrest marks a significant breakthrough in the case, which has drawn national and international attention due to its scale and complexity.