A High-Stakes Game Of Espionage Unfolds: India Busts ISI Spy Ring Across 4 States, 8 Nabbed In 11 Days

Indian security agencies are operating in high-alert mode following the recent tensions between India and Pakistan and the announcement of a ceasefire. Indian authorities have arrested at least eight people from three different states on charges of spying for Pakistan. These arrests come following security agencies increased surveillance following the recent terror attack in Pahalgam. Out of the eight arrested, four were caught in Haryana, three in Punjab, and one in Uttar Pradesh.

One of the key arrests was of a travel vlogger, which raised serious concerns. After this, Hisar police warned that enemy countries are targeting young social media influencers. Hisar Superintendent of Police, Shashank Kumar Sawan, said that some influencers are being lured with easy money and are getting involved in spying activities, knowingly or unknowingly.

Jyoti Malhotra

Jyoti Malhotra, a travel vlogger from Hisar, Haryana, who runs a YouTube channel called Travel with JO, was arrested last week for spying. Police said she was sharing important information about the Indian military with Pakistan. Jyoti is 33 years old and had been in touch with an official from the Pakistan High Commission. She had also visited Pakistan at least twice. According to the police, Pakistan’s intelligence agency was trying to turn her into their spy in India.

Davender Singh

Davendra Singh Dhillon, a 25-year-old political science student at Khalsa College in Patiala, was arrested on May 12 in Kaithal, Haryana. He had posted photos of a pistol and guns on Facebook, which led to his arrest. During police questioning, it was found that he had gone to Pakistan in November last year. While there, he shared sensitive information with Pakistan’s spy agency, ISI, including pictures of the Patiala military cantonment.

Arman

Arman, a 23-year-old, was arrested on May 16 in Nuh, Haryana, following police received important information about him. The police said Arman was sending secret information to Pakistan during the tense times between India and Pakistan. The police have proof to support their claim and are still investigating him further.

Nauman Ilahi

Nauman Ilahi, a 24-year-old man who worked as a security guard in Haryana, was arrested recently from Panipat. According to the media reports, he was in contact with a handler from Pakistan’s spy agency, ISI. Nauman, who is originally from Uttar Pradesh, used to send secret information to Pakistan. In return, he received money, which was sent to his brother-in-law’s bank account. This information was shared by the police during the investigation.

Shahzad

Shahzad is a businessman from Rampur, Uttar Pradesh. He was arrested by the Special Task Force (STF) in Moradabad on Sunday. The STF said Shahzad gave important national security information to his contacts. He had also traveled to Pakistan several times. Besides spying, he was involved in smuggling items like cosmetics, clothes, and spices.

Mohammad Murtaza Ali

Mohammad Murtaza Ali was caught by Gujarat Police during a raid in Jalandhar. Police arrested him because they had information that he was spying for Pakistan’s ISI. He used a mobile app he made himself to send information. Police found four mobile phones and three SIM cards with him. Two more people, Gazala and Yamin Mohammad, were also arrested in Punjab for similar spying charges.

These arrests happened following tensions between India and Pakistan became very high. India blamed Pakistan for supporting terrorists after a terror group linked to Pakistan was involved in the Pahalgam attack. India launched Operation Sindoor to attack terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. Pakistan then tried to attack India with missiles and drones, but India stopped these attacks. India then hit Pakistan airfields in response. The fighting stopped after a ceasefire was declared on May 10, after four days of conflict.

Several similar cases of spy arrests have occurred in the past. Some notable examples are listed below.

Arrest Of Pradeep Kumar

This case happened in 2022. Pradeep Kumar, a soldier from Uttarakhand who was posted in Jodhpur, was arrested. He was in contact with a Pakistani woman who was a spy. She trapped him using a fake romantic relationship on social media, known as a honey trap. She tried to get secret information about his work. When the police found out, Pradeep was immediately arrested.

Ramesh Singh Kanyal 2018

Ramesh Singh Kanyal, a resident of Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand, was arrested by the UP ATS in 2018. He worked as a cook in the house of an Indian diplomat in Pakistan from 2015 to 2017. Meanwhile, he spied for the ISI in secret ways. While on one hand he installed spyware in the diplomat’s laptop, on the other hand he shared confidential information.

Syed Abdul Karim Tunda 2013

Syed Abdul Karim Tunda, who was known as a bomb expert for the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba, was arrested in August 2013 from the Banbasa area in Uttarakhand. When he was caught, a Pakistani passport was found with him. He was also linked to several bomb blasts in India. Abdul Karim was given a life sentence in 2017 because of these charges.

Bid Ali Alias Ajit Singh

Abid Ali was arrested in January 2010 near Ganganahar police station in Haridwar. The police found maps of military bases in Meerut, Dehradun, and Roorkee, along with pen drives and other secret documents with him. He was sentenced to seven years in 2012 but in 2013, a lower court cleared him of the charges. The Uttarakhand High Court took a strict decision in 2021 and brought back his sentence, ordering his arrest again.