FIA Cybercrime Performance Report Highlights Decline in Conviction Rates Amid Rising Complaints

FIA Cybercrime Performance Report Highlights Decline in Conviction Rates Amid Rising Complaints

Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi presented a detailed report on the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) cybercrime efforts in the National Assembly, outlining the agency’s performance from 2020 to 2024. The report, which covered key metrics such as complaints, investigations, case registrations, and convictions, revealed a growing trend in cybercrime but highlighted concerning gaps in case resolutions and convictions.

According to the data, the FIA received a total of 722,010 cybercrime complaints over the past five years. Of these, 422,781 complaints were verified, and 71,862 were investigated. Despite the high volume of complaints, only 5,342 cases were formally registered, leading to just 152 convictions—representing a meager conviction rate of 2.84% of registered cases.

The report also revealed a significant year-on-year rise in complaints, with 2023 witnessing a 49% increase from 2020. In 2020, the FIA recorded 102,000 complaints, which surged to 152,136 in 2023. However, there was a noticeable dip in complaints in 2024, which fell by 18% to 123,893.

Verification and investigation numbers fluctuated similarly. In 2020, the FIA verified 98,882 complaints, which rose to 83,552 by 2022 but dropped to 68,627 in 2024. The investigation rate also showed variability, with 9,112 investigations initiated in 2020, peaking at 18,100 in 2023, before decreasing to 16,555 in 2024.

On the legal front, the number of cases registered showed an initial upward trajectory, from 601 cases in 2020 to a peak of 1,469 in 2022, but then dropped to 1,044 in 2024. Arrests followed a similar pattern, rising from 625 in 2020 to 2,007 in 2023, but falling again to 1,382 in 2024.

The data paints a picture of growing awareness and concern regarding cybercrimes, but the relatively low conviction rate raises questions about the efficacy of the FIA’s handling of such cases. With an increasing number of complaints and investigations, experts argue that there may be a need for more effective prosecution processes and greater resources dedicated to addressing cybercrime.

As the cybercrime landscape continues to evolve, this report serves as both an indicator of rising challenges and a call for more robust measures to improve legal outcomes and victim support in the digital space.

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