A judicial magistrate on Friday sent four suspects to jail on judicial remand in a case pertaining to alleged financial fraud through spoofed calls. Muhammad Shah Bukhari, Uzair Shehzad, Rohit Kumar and Yougesh were arrested during a raid on a call centre in DHA Phase II Extension on March 10.
On Friday, investigation officer Ameer Ali Khoso produced the suspects before the special duty magistrate on completion of their one-day remand. He said that digital devices, wallets and their passwords had been recovered from the suspects, adding that they had been interrogated partially and required to be investigated further.
The defence lawyer contended that this would be the third physical remand of the suspects if they are remanded in the NCCIA custody. Since devices as well as passwords had been collected from them, the IO no more required their custody, he said.
After hearing both the IO and counsel, the magistrate remanded the suspects in judicial custody and directed the investigation officer to submit a charge-sheet within stipulated period of time.
According to the FIR, a team of the NCCIA raided a place in DHA Phase II Extension to arrest an absconding accused. During the inspection of the premises, the team found Muhammad Shah, Uzair Shehzad, Rohit Kumar and Yougesh involved in running a call centre.
The analysis of the digital devices available there revealed the suspects’ involvement in financial fraud activities, it said. The NCCIA said that during the initial technical examination of the seized devices, it was established that the suspects were involved in making fraudulent calls through spoofing dialers, impersonating themselves as representatives of foreign banks to carry out unauthorized and illegal transfers of funds, as well as extracting personal and sensitive information for their wrongful gain without the knowledge or consent of foreign cardholders.
