Espionage cell linked to Pak busted, 11 held for installing CCTVs

Delhi Police arrested 11 men linked to a Pakistan espionage module, using CCTVs to track security forces movements in Punjab and Rajasthan.

Police on Friday said arrested 11 men, busting an espionage module linked to Pakistan-based gangsters and ISI operatives who had, for the last three months, been following the movement of security forces and the army through solar-powered CCTVs they had installed on poles inPunjab and Rajasthan and leaking it to their handlers. The Delhi Police Special Cell, who carried out the bust, recovered nine cameras from their possession which allegedly contains the footage to confirm this claim.

Espionage cell linked to Pak busted, 11 held for installing CCTVs

The threads of this bust first emerged in March when UP Police arrested six people for placing cameras at railway stations across the country, including Delhi Cantonment, in Mumbai (Maharashtra) and in Uttar Pradesh. However, police could not locate the CCTVs. Instead, they learnt that the gang the group was part of were working with a person with (+92) number — the international dialling code for Pakistan. They were being paid ₹10,000- ₹15,000 for installing these cameras.

During their investigation, a constable in Kaushambi learnt that technicians and camera shop workers in the city were being approached by men to teach and train them how to use solar powered cameras, a senior officer in the Special Cell told HT.

“It was during this time that one of the accused also revealed that their spying is not limited to Delhi and Mumbai but also in Rajasthan and Punjab,” said the first officer.

Around the same time, police said that staffers from a central agency, with whom the intelligence had been shared, also noticed a “newly installed” camera at a suspicious location in Punjab. A team under Delhi Police Special Cell inspectors Satish Rana and Ashok Kumar were sent to look for these devices and make arrests.

Pramod Singh Kushwaha, Additional CP (Special Cell) said, “We had credible information about the men who are involved with Pakistan-based gangsters and ISI operatives. They were recruiting men from across India to carry out these spy activities. Teams had identified a suspect and he was arrested on March 29 from Tarn Taran. He was identified as Manpreet Singh. He was caught with seven pistols and fake SIM cards.”

Police said Singh led them to his associates Anmol, Sahil, Atul Rathee, Rohit and Ajay. Police said Atul, Rohit and Ajay were held from Rohini where they were hiding “temporarily” while others were held from different locations in Punjab. Police said five others — Gurjeet Singh, Rimpledeep Singh, Salwinder Singh, Harpreet Singh and Boota Singh — were also held from Punjab.

The team managed to find nine CCTVs in Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Pathankot, Patiala, Moga, Ambala, Kathua, Bikaner and Alwar. All CCTVs are being analysed by cell and central agencies, said the police.

The accused were also working with Babbar Khalsa International, said Kushwaha.

Anmol was trained by Singh to talk to handlers in Pakistan and install CCTVs with Sahil. Sahil was also tasked to repair and maintain the CCTVs. Rathee is an MBA passout from New Zealand who met the accused on Telegram and had received pistols. Police said Rohit also had an MBA degree and helped Rathee with procuring arms from Punjab.

Kushwaha said, “All these places were carefully picked out to carry out espionage activities and record very sensitive security movements near defence establishments. They had arranged SIM cards which were used in these cameras we have. They sent live footage to Pakistan handlers. We have seized their phones as well. We have found they received money through UPI payments.”

In the meantime, another team, led by ACP Puran Pant, started tracing others. “By this time, the military were also involved. They had found they were being followed and shared this with us. The accused were taking photos, videos and following army vehicles. They also took photos of camps and other establishments,” said an officer from the Special Cell.

The five from Punjab were caught with 24 phones and 4 pistols. The accused work odd jobs in Punjab and “majored” in deciding locations to track BSF, Army, Delhi Cantt and other agency movements, said the police.

“The arrests unraveled a network of Pakistan-based handlers who directed their Indian associates to receive and deliver foreign-made pistols, including Pakistan-made to their other associates. The Pakistan-based handlers, in collaboration with other banned organizations such as BKI, tried to target security and other establishments through grenade attacks and other acts of terrorism” added Kushwaha.