ISLAMABAD – A major corruption scandal has come to light at the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) Rawalpindi, exposing an elaborate network of bribery involving Chinese-operated call centres and senior FIA officials. Investigations by the Federal Investigation Agency reveal that at least fifteen call centres, including MAKJ International Pvt. Ltd. and C Dragon Casino, were operating illegally in Bahria Town, Rawalpindi, defrauding the public under the protection of NCCIA officers. These centres, managed by Chinese nationals, recruited Pakistani employees on high salaries and privileges. According to the FIR filed with FIA’s Anti-Corruption Circle in Islamabad, Shahzad Haider, Additional Director; Haider Abbas, Deputy Director; and Sub Inspector Muhammad Bilal colluded to extort massive sums from these call centres through their frontman Hassan Ameer, owner of the private security company Blue Hawks, which provided armed guards to the centres. Hassan Ameer maintained close ties with Guo Kaixuan, also known as Kelvin, the frontman representing all the Chinese-run call centres. Between September 2024 and April 2025, the accused allegedly extorted Rs. 15 million per month from these centres, totaling Rs. 120 million over eight months. The distribution of this money included Rs. 50,000 to Hassan Ameer, Rs. 200,000 each to Muhammad Bilal and Haider Abbas, and Rs. 550,000 to Shahzad Haider per call centre per month. Additionally, Muhammad Bilal charged Rs. 800,000 as a “cooperation fee” from every newly opened call centre in Bahria Town. In May 2025, following a change in NCCIA management, officials Amir Nazir (Additional Director), Nadeem Ahmad Khan (Acting Deputy Director), Salman Awan (Deputy Director, Anti-Blasphemy Unit), and Sub Inspector Sarim Ali continued the bribery operations through frontman Tahir Mohi-ud-Din.
A raid at a Bahria Town call centre resulted in the arrest of 14 Chinese nationals, including Guo Kaixuan, who is married to Pakistani national Areeba Rubab. Sub Inspector Sarim Ali then allegedly negotiated a Rs. 20 million bribe with Areeba Rubab—Rs. 8 million for her husband and Rs. 12 million for the remaining 13 detainees. Sarim Ali reportedly sent videos showing Kelvin being beaten with iron rods via WhatsApp to pressure his wife into paying. In total, he extorted Rs. 21 million. Of this, Sarim Ali kept Rs. 1.7 million, Usman Basharat Rs. 1.4 million, Zaheer Abbas Niazi Rs. 1 million, and Nadeem Ahmad Khan Rs. 9.5 million, out of which Rs. 7 million was forwarded to Amir Nazir. Additional evidence indicates Salman Awan initially negotiated the bribe on behalf of the Chinese operators. Notably, Awan has a prior record of corruption, having been caught red-handed accepting Rs. 10.05 million in a separate case.
Earlier, on 16 July 2025, a raid at MAKJ International Pvt. Ltd. resulted in the arrest of seven Chinese nationals, after which Sarim Ali allegedly extorted Rs. 15 million in broad daylight near Tehzeeb Bakery, I-8 Markaz, Islamabad, giving Rs. 3 million to his frontman Tahir Mohi-ud-Din and keeping Rs. 12 million for himself. Altogether, the first group of accused officials, including Shahzad Haider, Haider Abbas, Muhammad Bilal, and Hassan Ameer, allegedly extorted around Rs. 250 million, while the second group—Amir Nazir, Nadeem Ahmad Khan, Salman Awan, Sarim Ali, and Tahir Mohi-ud-Din—extorted an additional Rs. 50 million. The FIA has registered a criminal case under Sections 109, 161, 386, 420 PPC read with 5(2)47 PCA 1947, with the investigation being led by Assistant Director Muhammad Safeer Ahmed, Inspector Muhammad Waheed Khan, and Sub-Inspector Shamas Gondal. The accused include Shahzad Haider, Haider Abbas, Muhammad Bilal, Hassan Ameer, Amir Nazir, Nadeem Ahmad Khan, Salman Awan, Sarim Ali, Usman Basharat, Zaheer Abbas Niazi, Tahir Mohi-ud-Din, Mian Irfan, and Guo Kaixuan alias Kelvin. Further roles of other involved individuals are expected to emerge during the investigation.
This revelation exposes a deeply entrenched culture of corruption at NCCIA Rawalpindi, highlighting how foreign operators and local officials allegedly colluded to exploit legal loopholes and extract massive sums from illegally operated call centres. The case has sent shockwaves across the federal investigative circles and raised questions about accountability in Pakistan’s cybercrime enforcement agencies. Amir Nazir, the Additional Director of NCCIA Peshawar, who was hired on a contract basis, unlawfully confirmed his position in the National Cyber Crime Agency. Despite a clear Islamabad High Court ruling stating that all contract employees must pass the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) examination to gain confirmation, Amir Nazir and others bypassed the legal requirement. Amir Nazir’s past is riddled with corruption. Six years ago, he was involved in an illegal call center gateway theft case and was arrested, but he managed to escape punishment through bribery. Later, he transferred himself from NCCIA to FIA’s Counter-Terrorism Wing, where he reportedly abducted innocent individuals
and extorted money. Pakistan’s public and social circles have hailed the intelligence agencies and the Federal Interior Minister for taking action against these “black sheep” for the first time in the agency’s history. The crackdown is being seen as a historic step in the fight against corruption within the National Cyber Crime Agency.