Karachi girl, 13, rescued from online group assigning dangerous tasks

NCCIA officials say an online group allegedly instructed the girl to poison a cat before harming herself

KARACHI: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has rescued a 13-year-old girl in Karachi from a suspected dark web-linked network that allegedly instructed her to poison a cat before ordering her to seriously harm herself, officials said.

The NCCIA intervention followed intelligence shared by an international agency, which alerted Pakistani authorities to suspicious online activity and provided internet protocol (IP) addresses linked to the network.

According to NCCIA officials, the girl had become involved with an online group that assigned her dangerous tasks.

As part of the first task, she was allegedly ordered to poison a cat, resulting in its death. The second task involved instructions to inflict serious harm on herself.

However, NCCIA investigators managed to locate the girl before she could carry out the second instruction.

International intelligence leads investigators to girl

Officials said the international agency had provided IP addresses being used from 13 countries, including Pakistan.

The NCCIA's Karachi team conducted a detailed investigation into the Pakistani IP address to identify the person using it.

Investigators initially examined the address as part of efforts to trace those involved in the suspicious online activity. However, they discovered that the person associated with the address was a victim rather than a perpetrator.

The investigation subsequently led authorities to the 13-year-old girl, allowing them to intervene before she could carry out the instructions to harm herself.

Parents unaware of daughter's online activities

NCCIA officials said the girl's parents were completely unaware of her involvement with the online network until investigators contacted them.

During questioning, the parents revealed that they had noticed changes in their daughter's behaviour over the six months but had not linked them to her online activities.

The agency informed the family the nature of the online interactions and the potential danger facing the teenager.

Investigation into wider network continues

NCCIA investigators are now working to trace the accounts used to the girl and establish the identities of those operating the suspected network.

Officials said they were also examining whether other children in Pakistan had been targeted through similar online activities.

The agency has not disclosed the identities or locations of the suspected operators, and no arrests have been announced as the investigation remains under way.

What is the dark web?

The dark web is a hidden part of the internet that cannot be accessed through conventional engines such as Google or Bing. It typically requires specialised software, such as the Tor browser, which helps users conceal their identities and online activities.

While the dark web has legitimate uses, including private communication and bypassing censorship, it is also associated with illegal activities such as drug trafficking, weapons sales and cybercrime.

Unlike the deep web, which includes private databases, emails and other content not indexed by engines, the dark web is specifically designed to provide greater anonymity.

Accessing the dark web is legal in most countries, but using it for criminal activities is not. Its anonymity can also expose users to online scams, malicious software and exploitation.

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