Driver at MEA held for giving info to Pakistan

Police said the arrested person is not an MEA employee but a contractual multi-tasking staffer who did not have access to sensitive documents

The crime branch of the Delhi Police has arrested a driver working at the ministry of external affairs for allegedly sharing information with agents in Pakistan, officers aware of the matter said on Friday.

Police said the driver was allegedly honey-trapped. (File)

The police refused to confirm details, including name and employment period, citing national security.

A senior police officer, on condition of anonymity, said the driver was arrested from the Capital for transferring information and documents in lieu for money to a person in Pakistan. The driver was allegedly honey-trapped, but officials are yet to unearth the sequence of events. They are also probing details of the documents shared by the arrested accused.

While people aware of the matter said that the arrested person is not a MEA employee but a contractual multi-tasking staff who did not have access to sensitive documents, police are probing the details he allegedly shared with his handler.

A honey trap is a common method adopted by foreign agencies to lure or blackmail people into spying.

There have been several instances in which Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) operatives posed as women and befriended Indian citizens, especially those in police and paramilitary forces. After creating fake accounts, the operatives chat and also ask the victims for their personal photographs. The ISI operatives then blackmail the victims by threatening to release the chat transcripts or the photograph.

In most cases, the victims are then asked to send photos of defence stations or high-security places.