The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has made significant arrests in a high-profile corruption case, apprehending senior officials from the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) for their alleged involvement in a massive bribery network linked to illegal Chinese call centres.
Key Arrests After Bail Cancellation
The FIA's Anti-Corruption Circle in Islamabad took Deputy Director of the Anti-Blasphemy Unit, Salman Awan Alvi, and Sub-Inspector Sarim Ali into custody immediately after a court cancelled their pre-arrest bail. The arrests occurred outside the court premises. In a related development, the bail plea of their alleged frontman, Tahir Mohiuddin, was rejected due to his failure to appear before the Special Judge Central.
Shocking Scale of the Corruption Network
Investigations into the scandal have uncovered a deeply entrenched system of graft. According to FIA records, 15 illegal call centres operating in Rawalpindi were collectively paying bribes amounting to Rs15 million every month. This illicit money was allegedly collected by a team led by Additional Director Shehzad Haider through a frontman identified as Hassan Ameer.
The total sum received from September 2024 to April 2025 reached a staggering Rs120 million. The corruption was not limited to a single team. When Aamir Nazir assumed charge of the Rawalpindi office in May 2025, a new group including Deputy Director Nadeem Khan, Sub-Inspector Sarim Ali, and Deputy Director Salman Awan allegedly continued the practice of collecting the monthly Rs15 million bribe.
Detailed Modus Operandi and Further Allegations
The FIA's case file reveals specific instances of corruption. Sub-Inspector Bilal is accused of setting a new call centre's monthly protection payment at Rs800,000. In another incident, a raid on a call centre in Islamabad's F-11 sector was reportedly settled through a negotiated deal finalized by SHO Mian Irfan for Rs40 million.
Sub-Inspector Sarim Ali appointed his clerk, Mohiuddin, as his frontman. In a particularly egregious case following a raid in Rawalpindi where 14 Chinese nationals were arrested, Sarim, via his frontman, contacted the wife of a detained Chinese citizen named Kelvin. She allegedly paid Rs8 million for her husband's release, while another Rs12 million was taken for the release of the remaining 13 individuals.
Sarim also faces serious accusations of torturing the husband of a woman named Areeba, sending her the video, and then demanding an additional Rs1 million to complete legal formalities. The total collection from this single raid was Rs21 million, which was then distributed among team members.
Distribution of Illicit Funds
The investigation records detail how the bribe money was shared:
- Sub-Inspector Sarim Ali: Rs1.7 million
- Usman Basharat: Rs1.4 million
- Zaheer Abbas: Rs1 million
- Deputy Director Nadeem: Rs9.5 million (received from Usman Basharat's office)
- Additional Director Aamir Nazir: Rs7 million
- Deputy Director Nadeem kept Rs2.7 million for himself from his share.
The FIA had already registered a formal case against two additional directors, several other officials, staff members, and a Chinese national prior to these latest arrests, indicating the wide net of this ongoing investigation.
