FAISALABAD – Former Chairman of the Board of Directors of Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (FESCO) Malik Tahseen Awan has been arrested by National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA).
The arrest was made in connection with a fresh cybercrime case involving online fraud, forgery, and the harboring of foreign nationals on forged documents. According to NCCIA officials, the high-profile arrest came after a week-long manhunt. Tahseen had previously evaded capture during a raid at his medicine factory located in Chak 54-RB, Siruhli, on Sangla Hill Road, Faisalabad.
The recent raid led to arrest of 149 individuals, including several foreign nationals, allegedly involved in large-scale online scams. Seven FIRs were registered against him at the time, but he managed to secure pre-arrest bail from an Additional Sessions Judge.
Tahseen is accused of submitting forged documents including fake passports and residence papers of Chinese nationals to the Faisalabad City Police Officer (CPO) while seeking official security cover for them. Authorities also allege that he engaged in forgery and tampering of legal agreements signed with the Chinese nationals employed at his factory.
The case has been registered under Sections 13, 14, and 16 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), along with Sections 419, 420, and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), which deal with impersonation, fraud, and abetment of criminal acts.
After his arrest, the accused was produced before Senior Civil Judge Muhammad Ashfaq Malik on Friday, where NCCIA successfully obtained a five-day physical remand. He will be presented in court again on July 23.
Investigations are ongoing, and sources suggest more arrests could follow as NCCIA digs deeper into the alleged cybercrime network linked to Malik Tahseen Awan.
