Daily Times

Karachi: An Additional Inspector General (AIG) of Crime Branch Police has become the first ever most wanted cyber criminal in the country. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has formally issued a list of the most wanted cyber criminals, as well as the most wanted human traffickers and terrorists.

Syed Junaid Arshad was serving as an Additional Inspector General (AIG)

The third carrying only one most wanted high police official namely Syed Junaid Arshad who was serving as Additional Inspector General (AIG) of the Crime Branch Police in Gilgit-Baltistan has recently been suspended on the directives issued by the Federal Establishment Division, as he was booked by the FIA in a blackmail case as well as for defaming his ex-wife through social media.

The FIA’s cyber-crime circle had carried out raids last month at the residence of Syed Junaid Arshad in Islamabad to arrest him. However, he was able to escape the scene.

Last November, the Gilgit-Baltistan’s Chief Court dismissed a writ petition by the AIG, requesting that an FIR lodged against him for allegedly defaming his former wife on Facebook be quashed.

According to the details, the high level police official had married a woman named A* in 2003, but the marriage was dissolved in June 2016. The FIR, lodged at the National Response Centre for Cyber Crimes at FIA Lahore on June 6, 2017 maintained that the DIG’s former wife had filed a complaint on March 14, complaining that an unknown person was making obnoxious calls and blackmailing her. She also complained that fake sexually explicit images of her were being posted on a fake Facebook profile, tarnishing her reputation.

After an inquiry, the FIA’s Cyber Crime Circle found out that the DIG was in contact with one of his friends named Danish Ghani, and instigated him to establish an affair with his ex-wife. The FIR contended that Ghani had confessed that he became involved in the crime on the instigation of the petitioner.

According to the details, the FIA authorities had also obtained digital record of all communication between the petitioner and Ghani. The counsel for the AIG, insisted that the FIA had registered a false case against his client without following mandatory provisions of the law and also bypassed the mandatory procedure required to be followed before taking action against a public servant. In response, the DIG’s ex-wife, submitted that the petitioner was a police officer, who showed a reckless regard to courts. He said the DIG was playing hide and seek with the court.

The Ex Crime Branch AIG is a police officer with more than sixteen years of experience working in law enforcement. He was currently posted as AIG Crimes, Gilgit Baltistan. Alumni of JCLEC and a resource person on Anti Human Trafficking for UNODC. He is a Certified Master Trainer on Money Laundering and international terrorism and drafting of legal frame work organized by UNODC. He authored a booklet on community and rural policy during his tenure as SP Saddar Gujranwala and standard operating procedures for the security of VVIPs while posted at the PM House. He also formulated a plan to revamp the Elite Police Force Punjab and drafted SOPs for the District Elite Group (DEG) and Special Elite Group (SEG). He served as DPO at Mandi Bahudisn district.

Published in Daily Times, April 7^th 2018.