The Delhi Police's special cell on Friday said it busted a Pakistani intelligence operatives-led espionage module, based in Pakistan and backed by the country’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), by arresting a Delhi couple in their 20s, who had been working for it for two years.
According to the investigators, the arrested couple, identified as 25-year-old Mohammad Sahil and his 21-year-old wife Sameera, allegedly procured Indian SIM cards and sent them to Pakistan via Dubai for the module's use. Investigators said the Pakistani intelligence operatives used the cards to activate and operate WhatsApp from Pakistan and become members of groups in India to collect sensitive and classified information related to Indian defence.
Police said Sahil, an Indira Gandhi National Open University graduate, worked with a lawyer and planned to pursue a law course. In June 2022, he left the job and has been unemployed since. Sameera, who completed her BA course through correspondence, worked at a call centre.
The cops seized two mobile phones that the couple used, which they say contain incriminating chats with their handlers in the network.
{{/usCountry}}The cops seized two mobile phones that the couple used, which they say contain incriminating chats with their handlers in the network.
{{/usCountry}}Deputy police commissioner (special cell) Narra Chaitanya said the couple was allegedly tasked with recruitment in India for reconnaissance of cantonments and to share details of Indian Army personnel facing court-martial.
How was the module busted?
The Delhi Police's special cell, which tracks terrorist outfits and over-ground workers and sleeper cells providing logistical support, was tipped off about the ISI-backed network in Delhi and the National Capital Region.
The information was developed, and the special cell discovered that the module had recruited some in Delhi for logistical support and to procure SIM cards. The cell found WhatsApp was being used on these numbers from Pakistan to collect sensitive information.
DCP Chaitanya said the investigators identified the module's members and arrested Sahil, a resident of South Delhi’s Sarai Kale Khan.
"Forensic analysis of his mobile phone helped us find his incriminating chats with Pakistani agents,” Chaitanya said.
The couple contacted on Instagram
Sahil was found to have been allegedly in contact with a Pakistani agent on Instagram through his friend Sameera, who later became his wife. The agent allegedly introduced Sahil and Sameera to a Pakistani intelligence operative.
“Gradually, the operative cultivated Sahil and Sameera and convinced them to work for the network for financial gains. Sahil and Sameera were asked to extend logistical support to the network in Delhi and recruit more individuals for espionage and field operations,” DCP Chaitanya said.
₹30,000 for 8 SIM cards
Police said the couple was allegedly paid ₹30,000 for sending eight Indian SIM cards to Pakistan via Dubai in 2024 and 2025.
“WhatsApp accounts were activated on these numbers in Pakistan, and the network succeeded in joining some Indian WhatsApp groups for gathering information. These accounts were used to approach Indians to collect sensitive information,” said a second officer.
What interrogation reveals
DCP Chaitanya said the couple’s interrogation revealed the network's modus operandi and provided crucial insights into its structure and functioning.
"The operation uncovered significant details about Pakistan-based handlers and the method they used to coordinate with the over-ground workers/sleeper cells through encrypted communication platforms." He said the operation foiled espionage activities.