Owner of mobile operator franchise among three nabbed over NADRA data theft

GUJRANWALA: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials have arrested three people including an owner of a mobile operator franchise for stealing sensitive data of citizens from the official database of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) in Gujranwala, ARY News reported on Friday.

The arrests were made during a raid carried out by the agency’s team at a mobile phone franchise located in Rahwali area of the city where three suspected persons were taken into custody.

FIA deputy director confirmed that the franchise owner is among the detainees over their alleged involvement in confidential data of citizens from NADRA’s system.

The official revealed that the suspects have activated mobile sims by using the stolen data which they copied to silicon from the fingerprint software for the citizens.

Read: Two former Nadra high-ups booked for ‘stealing’ sensitive data

The team which raided at the mobile franchise has also recovered 10,000 sim cards, eight bio-metric machines and 10 laptops from their possession, said the agency’s deputy director.

A case has been registered against the arrested persons over stealing the confidential data of citizens from the NADRA’s database for its usage in illegal purposes.

In separate raids, the officials of FIA cybercrime cell seized 14 illegal gateway exchanges in Sargodha and Sillanwali and Sargodha besides arrested three suspects.

The FIA personnel have also recovered three exchanges, 1,000 cellular sim cards and a laptop. In Sillanwali, the raid was conducted in Nishatabad area where 11 exchanges were recovered from two suspects identified as Ali Raza and Adnan. The officials said that the arrested persons are involved in giving loss to the national exchequer by making illegal phone calls.

Earlier in June last year, two former employees of the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) had been identified and subsequently booked for stealing sensitive records and data.

Read: Rangers arrest man behind national identity cards theft in Karachi

The authority had nominated a former deputy chairman and a deputy director in the First Information Reports (FIRs). The complaint was lodged by Nadra HQ Chief of Staff, retired Col Tahir Maqsood Khan.