A Lahore judicial magistrate has granted the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) a further two-day physical remand of two suspects in an alleged Rs35 billion fraud involving the online sale of counterfeit United States postage stamps. The suspects were produced before Judicial Magistrate Naeem Wattoo on Tuesday after the expiry of their previous four-day remand. The investigating officer had requested another five days of custody to continue questioning both men, but the court approved an additional two days and directed the agency to produce them again on November 5. The latest order marks the third remand extension for the prime suspect and the second for his alleged accomplice, as investigators continue examining the operation, its financial transactions and the possible involvement of other individuals.
The prime suspect, a 33-year-old resident of Khanewal, is facing charges in the United States over an alleged scheme that defrauded the United States Postal Service (USPS) of approximately $126 million. According to the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, a federal jury in Florida charged him on September 28 in connection with the alleged sale of counterfeit postage labels. NCCIA Lahore announced his detention in late October, and he was initially sent on a five-day physical remand on October 21. The agency’s preliminary investigation indicated that the suspect had operated a website through which more than five million counterfeit US postage stamps were allegedly marketed and sold over a period exceeding three years. The US Department of Justice stated that the website was not authorised to sell USPS products or services. Prosecutors alleged that the counterfeit labels enabled customers to send packages at prices significantly below official postal rates, with labels reportedly sold for around $2 regardless of a package’s weight, size or destination. The alleged pricing arrangement resulted in losses exceeding $126 million for the US postal service. A US court order subsequently authorised the seizure and shutdown of the website allegedly used to distribute the labels.
NCCIA has also been investigating the financial network connected to the online operation, with particular attention given to 16 bank accounts allegedly used to receive or transfer proceeds. During a press conference on October 20, NCCIA Lahore Zone Additional Director Atif Ameer said seven of the accounts were operated by the prime suspect, while five were associated with his brother. Two accounts were reportedly operated by his wife, with one each linked to his sister and aunt. Ameer said the agency had expanded its investigation beyond Lahore by forming eight special teams across Punjab, Islamabad and Sindh to trace the suspect and examine the wider network. These teams reportedly conducted searches at 35 locations and questioned 47 individuals during the investigation. The agency also used digital and forensic methods to establish the suspect’s movements and identify people potentially connected to the alleged operation. Investigators analysed 122 call-data records, 50 IMEI-tracking reports and audio and video recordings obtained from 120 cameras. Ameer said artificial intelligence and other technological tools were also used, while a locator operation continued for 10 days as investigators attempted to establish the suspect’s whereabouts and trace his activities.
The financial investigation remains a central part of the case, with NCCIA examining transactions across the 16 accounts to determine how money generated through the alleged sale of counterfeit postage labels was received, transferred and distributed. Investigators are also assessing the possible involvement of the suspect’s relatives, particularly whether their bank accounts were used in connection with the online business. According to Ameer, the agency is examining whether additional individuals played roles in managing the website, processing customer orders, receiving payments or distributing the counterfeit labels. Authorities are also attempting to establish the full scale of the alleged operation and verify the total volume and value of transactions linked to it. The latest remand extension is expected to provide investigators with further time to question the suspects and examine evidence gathered during searches and forensic analysis. The agency has not concluded its investigation, and the allegations against the suspects remain subject to the ongoing legal proceedings.
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