A judicial magistrate on Friday granted the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) a further four-day physical remand of the prime suspect in a Rs35 billion fraud involving the online sale of counterfeit US postage stamps.
asserted
magistrate → grant → stamps
The NCCIA produced suspect Faheem Akram and his co-suspect, Naeem, before the court after their previous four-day remand expired.
asserted
remand → produce → court
The investigating officer (IO) sought further custody of the suspects for interrogation.
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officer → investigate → interrogation
Magistrate Naeem Wattoo granted the agency’s request and extended the physical remand of both suspects by four days.
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Wattoo → grant → days
The IO was directed to produce the suspects again on Nov 3.
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IO → direct → Nov
The initial investigation revealed that the suspect had allegedly been operating a website since August 2023 through which he sold more than five million counterfeit US postage labels online.
uncertain
he → reveal → labels
According to the US Department of Justice, Akram was indicted by a federal grand jury in Florida in September 2026 over the alleged sale of more than 5.1 million counterfeit postage labels, which prosecutors say caused losses of more than $126 million to the US Postal Service.
uncertain
prosecutors → accord → Service
US prosecutors allege that the website sold the labels for around $2 each, regardless of the weight, size or destination of a package.
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website → allege → package
A US court order authorised the seizure and shutdown of the website.
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order → authorise → website
The NCCIA had arrested the suspect, a resident of Khanewal, in Lahore.
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NCCIA → arrest → Lahore
In a press conference on Oct 20, NCCIA’s Lahore Zone Additional Director Atif Ameer said that 16 bank accounts had been used in the scam.
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accounts → say → scam
Seven of the accounts were operated by the suspect, five by his brother, two by his wife, and one each by his sister and aunt.
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Seven → operate → sister
He said the agency had expanded the investigation across several parts of the country.
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agency → say → country
“Eight special teams were formed in Punjab, Islamabad and Sindh to trace the suspect and investigate the network,” he said and added the teams conducted raids at 35 locations and questioned 47 people as part of the investigation.
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teams → form → investigation
“Investigators also employed digital and forensic techniques to establish the suspect’s movements and identify people associated with the operation.”
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Investigators → employ → operation
Ameer added that investigators analysed 122 call-data records, 50 IMEI-tracking reports and audio and video recordings from 120 cameras.
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investigators → add → cameras
“Artificial intelligence and other modern technological tools were also used during the investigation.
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intelligence → use → investigation
A locator operation continued for 10 days as investigators attempted to establish the suspect’s whereabouts and trace his activities,” he said.
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he → continue → activities
The NCCIA said the major focus of the investigation was the financial trail generated by the online sale of the counterfeit stamps.
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focus → say → stamps
“We are examining transactions conducted through the 16 bank accounts and attempting to determine the flow of funds between the accounts allegedly belonging to the suspect and his relatives.
uncertain
We → examine → suspect
“The involvement of family members is also being examined as part of the investigation, particularly the alleged use of their bank accounts in connection with the online business,” the additional director said.
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director → examine → business
He said the role of other individuals in operating the website, processing orders, receiving payments or distributing the counterfeit stamps was also being probed.
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role → say → stamps
“Investigators are also working to establish the full scale of the operation and verify the volume and value of the transactions,” he said.
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he → work → transactions
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