The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has arrested a man near the Afghan border accused of harassing and blackmailing Iraqi women through social media.
The arrest was made by the NCCIA Peshawar Circle during a raid in Upper Dir, following a formal request from the Iraqi Foreign Ministry. Officials confirmed that the suspect, identified as Mustafa Khan, was taken into custody after being tracked for online crimes.
According to investigators, the man contacted Iraqi women on social media and lured them with false marriage promises. He misused their photographs and screenshots from video calls to blackmail them. Authorities also revealed that he hacked the social media accounts of an Iraqi family and used private data to extort money. Some of the material was leaked through a fake account created under a girl’s name.
Sources said the Iraqi Foreign Ministry wrote directly to the Director General of NCCIA, requesting action against the suspect. The operation was carried out successfully in a region only a few kilometres from the Afghan border.
The arrest highlights growing cross-border cooperation against cybercrime and the misuse of social media platforms for harassment and extortion.
