ISLAMABAD: Popular YouTuber Saadur Rehman, widely known as Ducky Bhai, was arrested early Sunday at Lahore airport by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) for allegedly promoting online gambling and betting applications.
A case was registered against him under multiple sections of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act and the Pakistan Penal Code, accusing him of promoting online fraud through his influential YouTube platform.
Rehman was presented before a judicial magistrate on Sunday afternoon, where the court granted the NCCIA a two-day physical remand for further investigation. The court directed the agency to present the YouTuber again on August 19 and instructed them to submit a detailed investigation report during the next hearing.
The case was registered by the NCCIA at midnight on August 17, following a complaint about Rehman’s involvement in promoting several gambling platforms, including Binomo, 1xBet, Bet 365, and B9 Game, via his YouTube channel. According to the FIR, Rehman allegedly encouraged the public to invest their money into these platforms, causing financial losses as the apps failed to pay out the promised profits.
The investigation revealed that Rehman had been in communication with contacts related to Binomo promotions and had engaged in conversations about illegitimate payments from the app.
Additionally, the FIR emphasized that these gambling platforms were not registered in Pakistan, and Rehman had been working as an unauthorized “country manager” for Binomo, with no approval from the government, including the FBR or the State Bank of Pakistan.
Rehman’s arrest comes shortly after a separate incident in which he was booked by motorway police for performing dangerous driving stunts.
Despite being one of Pakistan’s most-followed YouTubers with over 8 million subscribers, this latest case highlights growing concerns about the promotion of online gambling and the need for tighter regulations on digital content creators and their influence.
The NCCIA is continuing its investigation and may take further legal action based on the findings of this case. Authorities have already seized Rehman’s phone, which contains evidence of chats and payments related to the promotion of gambling apps.
