ISLAMABAD – The National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has busted an international child exploitation network operating in Muzaffargarh, Punjab, leading to the arrest of two suspects and the rescue of ten children.
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry revealed details of the operation during a press conference in Islamabad, calling it one of the “most alarming” discoveries of its kind in Pakistan.
According to Chaudhry, the gang was being run by a German citizen, who allegedly operated a child sexual exploitation ring through a setup disguised as a children’s club. The victims — aged between 6 to 10 years — were lured with money and games, then blackmailed and exploited.
“Videos of these innocent children were filmed with modern cameras and sold on the dark web, some even live-streamed globally,” Chaudhry said.
The NCCIA’s five-hour-long operation on May 23 led to the arrest of two local suspects and the rescue of ten children, six of whom have been handed over to the Child Protection Bureau.
Tragically, some family members of the victims were complicit in the abuse, and legal action is being taken against them, Chaudhry added.
The State Minister revealed:
-
50 children were victimized by the gang
-
178 FIRs have been filed regarding child exploitation cases
-
198 suspects have been arrested so far, 14 jailed for 4–10 years
Chaudhry emphasized the need to expand NCCIA’s presence to every district and triple its workforce due to the rising threat of online crimes.
The agency is working in collaboration with international partners such as the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), he noted.
Meanwhile, according to a report titled Cruel Numbers 2024 by civil society group Sahil, over 3,364 child abuse cases were reported nationwide in 2024 — averaging nine cases per day. Of these, 53% victims were girls, and 47% boys.