ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has established a specialised Dark Web Investigation Unit to strengthen Pakistan’s ability to detect, investigate and prosecute criminals operating through hidden online networks, senior officials have confirmed.
The new unit has been set up within the FIA’s National Command and Control Centre (NC3) at its headquarters in Islamabad and is equipped with advanced digital forensic technologies designed to identify individuals who exploit the anonymity of the dark web for criminal activities.
According to FIA Director General Dr Usman Anwar, the initiative is aimed at countering sophisticated cyber threats that increasingly rely on encrypted online platforms and anonymous financial transactions.
He said the unit would focus on dismantling criminal networks involved in the production of forged documents, human trafficking, migrant smuggling and other offences falling within the FIA’s jurisdiction.
Dr Anwar explained that investigators would deploy modern technologies to overcome the concealment methods commonly used by cybercriminals. The unit will also work closely with the FIA’s Cryptocurrency Investigation Unit, using blockchain forensic tools to trace virtual currency transactions and link pseudonymous cryptocurrency addresses to real-world identities.
He said investigators would combine blockchain analysis with open-source intelligence (OSINT) to gather documentary evidence and strengthen criminal investigations.
“We will leverage advanced tools and methodologies to investigate individuals operating on the dark web by cross-referencing aliases, usernames and pseudonyms across online marketplaces, forums and hidden services,” Dr Anwar said.
He added that the process would enable investigators to build comprehensive profiles of suspects and support efforts to bring offenders before the courts.
Officials noted that the dark web presents unique challenges for law enforcement agencies because it operates through decentralised systems designed to conceal users’ identities and frequently involves cross-border criminal activity.
The hidden online environment has been associated with a range of illegal activities, including the sale of forged documents, narcotics, weapons, stolen data, hacking tools, malware, piracy, terrorism-related material and other forms of organised cybercrime.
READ ALSO: Sensitive Files From India’s Largest Nuclear Power Plant Published on Dark Web
Because many of these activities are transnational and operate beyond conventional regulatory frameworks, authorities believe effective enforcement requires advanced technology alongside stronger international cooperation. NC3 Director Dr Athar Waheed explained that the internet is generally divided into three distinct layers: the surface web, the deep web and the dark web.
The surface web consists of publicly accessible websites indexed by search engines such as Google, including news portals, social media platforms, blogs and online retailers.
The deep web includes content that is not indexed by search engines but remains legitimate and secure, such as online banking services, email accounts, subscription-based academic journals, databases and internal organisational networks.
The dark web, however, forms a concealed segment of the deep web that can only be accessed using specialised anonymity software, most notably Tor (The Onion Router).
Dr Waheed said Tor is an open-source network supported by thousands of volunteer-operated relay servers worldwide, allowing users to route internet traffic through multiple encrypted pathways to preserve anonymity.
Unlike the broader deep web, the dark web hosts hidden services that deliberately obscure users’ identities and IP addresses through encryption, making investigations considerably more complex and necessitating specialised investigative capabilities.
The establishment of the new unit reflects the FIA’s broader effort to enhance Pakistan’s cybercrime enforcement capacity in response to the growing sophistication of digital criminal networks.
