5 min read
Pakistan’s escalating scandal involving YouTuber Saad ur Rehman, widely known as Ducky Bhai, has spiraled from a routine cybercrime inquiry into a national debate on accountability, state overreach, and the urgent need for crypto regulation.
A viral social media post shared on December 7 put by Ducky Bhai on his YouTube claimed that during custody, an NCCIA officer seized Rehman’s phone and Binance account.
Giving context, he said, “On August 16, I woke up feeling happy because we had organised a gathering at our home and all our guests had arrived. After the event, we were preparing to attend an international event, packing our things… After packing, when we left the house, I had no idea of what was about to happen, and that’s when my difficult time began.””
Saad alleged that NCCIA Lahore Additional Director Sarfraz Chaudhry abused the famous YouTuber.
“He stood up from his chair and verbally abused me,” Rehman said in his video. “He asked me, ’Where does your money come from?’ I replied that it comes from YouTube. I have eight million subscribers. He accused me of corrupting the minds of children… He kept on hitting me and slapped me so much I lost count.”
Rehman has alleged that NCCIA proceeded to delete his trade history and caused estimated losses of around nine point two crore rupees. Although the allegation remains unverified, it has triggered public outrage over procedural lapses and the chaotic financial space in which countless Pakistanis trade digital assets without oversight.
“When I was in NCCIA custody, you probably heard about $326,000 during a podcast with the assistant director. He said that they seized this money from me … the investigating officer (IO) ordered me to open my Binance account,” Ducky Bhai said.
With FIA launching an internal inquiry into NCCIA’s conduct, the case has become a reflection of a larger systemic failure where unregulated crypto activity collides with under prepared law enforcement, leaving ordinary users exposed. The Additional Director General was later removed from post after his involvement with other FIA cases came to light. On October 28, six NCCIA personnel were also arrested and remanded on allegations of misusing their authority and taking bribes.
How the Scandal Started
In his video, Rehman says the following series of events occured:
- NCCIA officers allegedly seized his phones and Binance account on the spot.
- Over multiple interrogations, he claims officers slapped him repeatedly, forced him to unlock his crypto wallets, and transferred approximately Rs 9.2 crore to unknown accounts.
- One officer allegedly bragged, “We have connections with the judge… get as many pre-arrest bails as you want, we’ll cancel them.”
- Ducky says Rs 60 lakh in cash was delivered as an initial bribe, followed by demands for Rs 1.5 crore more.
“They told my family on video call, ‘Watch what we do to him now,’” Ducky said, tears visible. “They threatened to file new FIRs every week until we paid.”
Who Is the Big Brother?
The turning point, he claims, came when Pakistan’s premier intelligence agencies, ISI or Military Intelligence, intervened.
“Institutions are not bad. Some individuals are,” he stressed repeatedly. “This has never happened in Pakistan’s history before – that the top institutions stepped in to protect a common citizen from state functionaries.”
Ducky insisted he never ran a scam or handled investor money, describing himself as “just an amateur trader who sometimes showed wins and losses for entertainment.”
“I met a person named ‘Big Brother.’ He was from the Corps of Military Intelligence, Pakistan Army. And after that, all corrupt NCCIA officers were arrested. I want to thank FM Asim Munir and DG MI,” he told of a mysterious personality who helped him. The personnel, who Ducky portrays as a paternal figure, later becomes pivotal: after Ducky’s detention for alleged gambling app promotions, “Big Brother” allegedly coordinated a covert probe into NCCIA officers, leading to the suspension of Additional Director Sarfaraz Chaudhary and eight others on bribery charges. This personnel also took care of Rehman’s family when he was in jail.
“He and his team took care of everything.”
However, netizens do not seem that empathetic to Rehman’s ordeal. A comment on Reddit say:
Comment
byu/Dapper-Froyo-4595 from discussion
inpakistan
However, he issued a tearful apology to the nation:
“If anyone lost money because of anything I ever posted, I’m truly sorry from the bottom of my heart.”
The video ends with Ducky in tears thanking his wife, mother, and the intelligence agencies, while the FIA confirmed on December 7 that nine NCCIA officers have been arrested and an inquiry is underway into the bribery and torture allegations. He also thanked Field Marshal Asim Munir by name, saying, “he is the only name I am going to name.”
Ducky Bhai thanked the agencies for helping him getting out of the “corrupt mafia,” he stressed that he is not going to tell the whole tale.
Ducky Bhai’s Missteps and Public Reaction
Although many sympathize with Ducky’s ordeal, his own missteps contributed to the crisis. With millions of followers, even casual comments about market gains can encourage inexperienced viewers to invest impulsively.
According to the FIR against the content creator, Rehman is facing allegations of promoting gambling and betting apps that tricked users and raked in millions of rupees.
This isn’t the first time the YouTuber has found themselves in hot water, as they are one of the most followed online personalities in Pakistan.
“I know you guys will say I am lying. It looks like he is fabricating a script for a Mission Impossible movie, but my family and I will always be indebted to our agenices… Let the court handle… I will see the case till the end,” Ducky bhai said in a determined way.
You can check out the video here:
