File photo. Damien Meyer—AFP
The incumbent government on Friday disbanded the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)’s Cyber Crime Wing, replacing it with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), which would hold the mandate for probing electronic crimes.
Under the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (Establishment, Powers and Functions) Rules, 2024, the FIA would no longer be the designated investigation agency for electronic crimes. It said all personnel, cases, inquiries, investigations, assets, liabilities, rights, obligations, privileges and matters related to the defunct cybercrime wing are transferred to the NCCIA.
“The NCCIA shall consist of a director general, additional director general, directors, additional directors, deputy, directors, assistant, directors and such other officers, as the director general may determine,” read the rules, adding the director-general would be appointed by the federal government for a two-year term, extendable on performance for a similar term or terms.
In a notification, the Ministry of Information Technology said staff of the defunct cybercrime wing of the FIA performing functions under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Investigation Rules, 2018 or similar instrument would continue to perform their duties for one year until the NCCIA could appoint its own functionaries on regular basis. The new agency, it said, would directly register all new cases related to cybercrime and would have its own offices serving as police stations for the filing of complaints.