Pakistan’s cybercrime agency has launched a money laundering investigation against YouTuber Saad ur Rehman, better known as Ducky Bhai, in what officials describe as the first major crackdown of its kind on online financial fraud.
According to notices issued by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), several other social media influencers have also been summoned to the agency’s Lahore office on September 2. Those influencers called for questioning include Iqra Kanwal, Muhammad Anas Ali, Muhammad Hasnain Shah, and Mudassir Hasan.
NCCIA alleges that the influencers promoted gambling platforms, forex trading schemes, and unregistered investment apps to lure young users into illegal financial activities. The agency said it has already collected evidence and intends to expand the investigation further.
The move comes days after Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control formally empowered the NCCIA to investigate and prosecute money laundering cases under the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA) 2010.
A gazette notification issued on August 26 extended the law’s scope to cover cybercrimes, including online fraud, online child abuse, unlicensed investment schemes, and the dissemination of false information.
Ducky Bhai was briefly detained earlier this week and handed over to NCCIA on physical remand. Authorities have now opened a formal money laundering inquiry against him, which they describe as the most significant enforcement action to date targeting social media–driven financial scams.
The NCCIA has warned that any influencer or online promoter found involved in deceiving citizens through gambling and unregistered apps will be held accountable under the law.
