FIA launches dedicated dark web unit to hunt cybercriminals, human traffickers

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has established a dedicated Dark Web Investigation Unit to identify, track and prosecute criminals operating on encrypted online platforms, marking a major step in Pakistan's efforts to combat cyber-enabled crime and protect national security.

The specialised unit has been set up at the state-of-the-art National Command and Control Centre (NC3) at the FIA headquarters and will employ advanced technologies to uncover hidden criminal networks, trace cryptocurrency transactions and support enforcement operations against transnational cybercrime, FIA Director General Dr Usman Anwar said on Saturday.

He said the unit would primarily focus on dismantling networks involved in producing forged documents used for human trafficking, illegal migration and other offences falling within the FIA's jurisdiction.

"The unit will work closely with the cryptocurrency investigation unit under the same roof, using blockchain forensic capabilities to connect pseudonymous cryptocurrency addresses with real-world identities through open-source intelligence (OSINT) and digital evidence," Dr Anwar said.

He added that investigators would utilise advanced analytical tools to trace aliases, usernames and online identities across dark web marketplaces, forums and hidden services to build comprehensive profiles of criminal actors and bring them to justice.

The dark web comprises websites that are not indexed by conventional search engines and are accessible only through specialised browsers using encrypted networks. Its anonymity has made it a preferred platform for a range of illicit activities, including human trafficking, drug and weapons trading, cybercrime, terrorism, hacking services, piracy and the sale of stolen data.

Officials noted that investigating crimes on the dark web presents significant challenges because these networks are decentralised, encrypted and often operate across multiple jurisdictions. They said modern investigative technology, combined with international cooperation, remained the most effective means of countering such threats.

NC3 Director Dr Athar Waheed explained that the internet broadly consists of three layers: the surface web, the deep web and the dark web.

He said the surface web includes publicly accessible websites indexed by search engines, while the deep web consists of legitimate but non-indexed content such as online banking, email accounts, academic databases and private organisational networks that require authentication.

The dark web, he explained, is a hidden segment of the deep web that can only be accessed through anonymity-preserving software such as Tor (The Onion Router), which routes internet traffic through thousands of volunteer-operated relays worldwide to conceal users' identities and locations.

Unlike the deep web, Dr Waheed said, the dark web hosts encrypted services that deliberately obscure IP addresses and user identities, making them difficult to trace through conventional investigative methods.

Officials said the establishment of the specialised unit would significantly enhance the FIA's capacity to combat sophisticated cybercriminal networks by combining blockchain forensics, digital intelligence and advanced investigative technologies to identify and prosecute offenders operating in the hidden corners of the internet.