International child exploitation gang busted in Muzaffargarh

ISLAMABAD: The National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has dismantled an international child exploitation ring operating as a gaming and sporting club in Muzaffargarh district of Punjab, officials said.

In a press conference in Islamabad, Minister of State for Interior, Talal Chaudhry, stated that the NCCIA had arrested two suspects, identified as Junaid and Irfan, in connection with the case. Efforts are underway to apprehend the ringleader, a German national.

The gang had set up a gaming club equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, including high-definition surveillance cameras operating around the clock. The club specifically targeted children between the ages of 6 and 10 from poor families, Talal Chaudhry noted.

At least 50 children were victims of exploitation by the gang, with 10 of them recovered from the club during the operation, he said.

Talal Chaudhry said that children were enticed with games, physical training, and small monetary incentives. They were then coerced into performing acts of abuse, which were recorded and broadcast live online. The videos was sold on the dark web for thousand of dollars.

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Disturbingly, Talal Chaudhry revealed that some parents were complicit, sending their children to the club in exchange for money.

Authorities have launched a broader investigation and are coordinating with international law enforcement agencies to trace the digital footprint of the network and arrest the German ring leader.