Pak Spies: Amid heightened monitoring on espionage activities following the Pahalgam terror assault, Indian officials have arrested at least eight individuals from three states for allegedly spying for Pakistan. Three of these arrests took place in Punjab, one in Uttar Pradesh, and at least four in Haryana.
Hisar police had raised concerns that enemy nations were targeting young influencers following the arrest of a travel vlogger who was suspected of espionage. According to Hisar SP Shashank Kumar Sawan, such influences walk down the wrong path in search of quick money, he told reporters.
The eight Pakistani spies who have been detained recently are as follows:
1. Jyoti Malhotra
‘Travel with JO’ is the YouTube channel of travel vlogger Jyoti Malhotra, who hails from Hisar, Haryana. She was taken into custody last week for giving Pakistan access to Indian military intelligence. According to authorities, the 33-year-old had visited Pakistan at least twice and had communicated with a representative of the Pakistan High Commission. They claimed that Pakistani intelligence agents were attempting to use her as a resource in India.
2. Nauman Ilahi
A few days prior, Nauman Ilahi, 24, a security guard in Haryana, was taken into custody in Panipat is one of the Pak spies. He reportedly communicated with an ISI handler in Pakistan. According to the authorities, the Uttar Pradesh resident used to get money from Pakistan in his brother-in-law’s account in exchange for providing information to Islamabad.
3. Davender Singh
Davendra Singh Dhillon, 25, is a political science student at Patiala’s Khalsa College. He was taken into custody on May 12 in Kaithal, Haryana, for posting pictures of a pistol and firearms on Facebook. During his interrogation, it was revealed that he had been to Pakistan in November of last year and had given the officials of the espionage organization Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) vital material, including images of the Patiala military cantonment.
4. Arman
Based on intelligence, Arman, 23, was taken into custody on May 16 in Nuh, Haryana. According to the police, he was discovered giving Pakistan vital information while tensions between the two countries were at their highest. Police said the suspect is being investigated further and they have proof to back up their claim.
5. Mohammad Murtaza Ali
During a Gujarat Police operation in Jalandhar, Mohammad Murtaza Ali was taken into custody. Intelligence reports that he was spying for Pakistan’s ISI led to his arrest. According to reports, he accomplished this by using a mobile application that he had created himself. Three SIM cards and four cell phones were discovered in his possession.
Additionally, two more people from Punjab, named as Yamin Mohammad and Gazala, were also taken into custody on related accusations.
6. Shahzad
The Special Task Force (STF) detained Shahzad, a businessman from Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, in Moradabad on Sunday. According to the STF, he had given his handlers critical national security information. He had made several trips to Pakistan and was allegedly involved in the smuggling of spices, clothing, and cosmetics.
Also Read: Pahalgam Terror Attack: Another Pakistan Spy Arrested in UP
Operation Sindoor Impact:
Following days of increased tensions between India and Pakistan, the arrests take on significance. Following the revelation of a terror outfit associated with Islamabad’s involvement in the Pahalgam tragedy, India had placed the blame on Pakistan’s terror infrastructure.
India launched Operation Sindoor to target terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the attack. Soon after, Pakistan launched a huge drone and missile attack, but the threats were stopped. Indian soldiers retaliated by attacking Pakistani airfields. After four days, the fighting came to an end on May 10 with a ceasefire.
Also Read: Could Tracking Jyoti Malhotra Have Prevented Pahalgam Attack?