ISLAMABAD: Pakistani officials confirmed on Thursday that a tip from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) enabled them to intercept an alleged poisoning conspiracy involving a 17-year-old. Investigators claim the minor utilized the Claude artificial intelligence platform to investigate deadly compounds and carried out two attempts to poison his father.
The incident demonstrates how safety interventions on global AI platforms can precipitate international law enforcement response, with intelligence originating in the United States directing Pakistani detectives to a residence in Bahawalpur, southern Punjab.
According to a first information report (FIR) from September 23, reviewed by Arab News, the probe began when Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs passed a “Threat to Life” bulletin—originally raised by the FBI—to the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) in Lahore.
When asked about cooperation on AI-facilitated crime, Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan stated that Islamabad places high value on intelligence sharing with global partners.
“Useful sharing of information has helped the authorities stop a crime from being committed. Pakistan appreciates its collaborations with the international community in all fields including cybersecurity,” he said.
The FIR describes the alert as concerning an active Claude.ai user who performed “highly concerning, multi-session research regarding the lethality, timing, and optimization of lethal substances.”
Officials allege the suspect tried to poison his father with laboratory-grade methanol and subsequently planned a second attempt using abrin, a toxin derived from crushed rosary peas.
The report reproduces messages allegedly sent by the user, including one stating: “My dad accidentally intaked about 15-20ml of methanol mixed with his food but nothing happened to him, 4-5 days have past.”
Another message reportedly asked: “What if a son can save his father from dying but he on purpose choose not to… He warned him slightly but he didn’t listen.”
Further quotes in the FIR show the user stating: “I blended/crushed rosary peas with water, & spilled more of its dark-red water on the ground” while asking, “Is latent period of abrin ingestion more than 12 hours. What about if this latent period is during night?”
Following the alert, the FIR states NCCIA investigators conducted digital tracing and used the NADRA Online system to identify the user, eventually obtaining a search warrant and locating the suspect at a home in DHA Bahawalpur.
During the raid, officers seized an iPhone 15 Pro Max, which had the Claude AI application installed and an active associated email account, as well as chemicals including methanol, ethylene glycol, hydrochloric acid, potassium hydroxide, and sodium hydroxide.
Although the suspect denied the accusations during interrogation, investigators argue the recovered evidence and chat logs indicate an attempt to synthesize poison and threaten the victim’s life.
The FIR concludes: “Prima facie, the accused person committed offenses u/s 15 of PECA-2016 R/w 324-PPC.”
Charges were filed under Section 15 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016, regarding devices used in electronic offenses, and Section 324 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), concerning attempted intentional killing.
An NCCIA official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the accused is a 17-year-old student who will stand trial, although his father has signaled a willingness to pardon him.
“This is a compoundable offense in which the victim and the accused can settle the matter privately and drop the charges,” the official explained. “So, the father is inclined to forgive his child.”
The official noted the minor was reportedly inspired by the series “Breaking Bad” and began experimenting with lethal chemicals after allegedly poisoning his father twice.
While the FBI warning was decisive, the official said NCCIA had to perform extensive tracing to locate the suspect, as the initial alert pointed toward Faisalabad rather than Bahawalpur.
“We have to go through IP addresses and NADRA systems to find out the exact location of the accused,” he said.
The case further illustrates the operational framework for cooperation between Pakistani and foreign security agencies in responding to digital threats.
“Although this case came through the Foreign Office, we also have active collaboration with FBI on agency level,” the official added.
Separately, an NCCIA official in Karachi revealed that authorities are searching for a second 17-year-old following an FBI alert regarding an alleged murder plot. No formal case has been opened yet, as investigators have identified neither a victim nor proof the teenager procured a weapon.
“The minor wanted to kill someone who had insulted his father, but it is not known who that person was. It was at a very initial stage. There was no identified victim or target, and he had not acquired any weapon or anything else to carry out an attack. Therefore, the case has not been registered, but the investigation is ongoing,” the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.
He described the alert pathway in this instance as similar to the Bahawalpur investigation, with the Claude platform flagging activity to US authorities, who then notified Pakistani investigators.
“Since Claude is an American service, the matter was referred to the FBI, which subsequently alerted the NCCIA as the relevant agency in Pakistan,” he said.
“There are arrangements for cooperation between law enforcement agencies in different countries. When one agency is alerted, it informs the relevant agency in the country where the alleged crime is taking place. There have been instances in which Pakistan has shared intelligence with another country when the matter was relevant to that country,” he added.