Karachi: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) rescued a teenage girl from an alleged international online exploitation network that used blackmail to pressure her into harming an animal and herself.
The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) intervened after receiving information from an overseas agency. Investigators traced a Pakistani internet connection and discovered that the person associated with it was a child facing threats rather than a suspected offender, Geo News reported.
NCCIA Additional Director Tariq Nawaz identified the alleged network as “764” in comments to Arab News. He said the girl was safe and investigators were examining digital evidence and looking into other possible victims in Pakistan.
How the alleged coercion developed
According to Nawaz, contact began through online games and social media. The perpetrators obtained photographs and subsequently used threats of exposure to demand increasingly harmful acts.
Officials said the girl had been coerced into killing a pet cat before investigators intervened to prevent further harm. Her family had noticed behavioural changes but had not understood their connection to the online activity, according to Geo News.
The account describes a pattern of manipulation: material obtained during initial contact becomes leverage, while each subsequent demand increases the victim’s fear of disclosure.
What is 764?
The FBI describes 764 and related groups as violent online networks that exploit children and other vulnerable people. Its warnings explain that perpetrators use manipulation, threats and blackmail to force victims to produce harmful material, which can then be circulated to maintain control.
An FBI warning issued in May said contact often begins on ordinary gaming and social media platforms, with perpetrators posing as friends.
Why the “dark web” description needs care
Some reporting describes an alleged dark web connection. The term refers to deliberately concealed online services, typically accessed through specialised software; it does not mean every private chat or unlisted webpage.
The reported starting point in this case was familiar online platforms. Calling it solely a dark web case could obscure how children first encounter exploitation.
Nawaz said forensic inquiries were continuing. Identifying the people behind the accounts, establishing their locations and finding other children at risk remain central to the investigation.
