*KARACHI: *The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has busted a ganginvolved in swindling millions of rupees by impersonating militaryofficials or by luring people with hefty lotteries over phone calls inPunjab.

The gang was capable of even creating fake thumbprints by stealing theNational Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) database, *ExpressNews* reported on Tuesday.

According to the FIA investigation, the gang used to devise a detailedstrategy before executing their plans.

“They [fraudsters] have invented a technology that is capable ofmanipulating the biometric system, Nadra system and other sensitiveoperations of the country, including issuance of cellphone SIMs andchanging the modules of SIMs,” Shahid Hassan, the deputy director of FIA’sCybercrime Circle said.

The gang used thumbprints from Nadra’s database and converted them onsilicon sheets for making the encrypted SIMs usable, he explained.

According to Hassan, the suspects ran their operations through an office ina village on the outskirts of Sargodha.