Police arrest Gujarat man for spying, sharing Army details to Pakistan

The accused used WhatsApp to contact Army personnel and their families and later compromised their data.

Updated on: Oct 20, 2023, 16:17:30 IST

By HT News Desk

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The Gujarat Police Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Thursday arrested arrested a person, alleged to be a spy, from Tapur town in Anand district for allegedly sending sensitive information to Pakistan. He is a Pakistan-national-turned-Indian-citizen.

The accused was using a WhatsApp number to contact Army personnel and sending Remote Access Trojan (RAT) malware to extract sensitive information

The ATS kicked off the operation after receiving military intelligence that a campaign is run by a Pakistani intelligence operative (PIO), 55-year-old Labshankar Maheshwari, where the accused was using a WhatsApp number to contact Army personnel and sending Remote Access Trojan (RAT) malware to extract sensitive information.

According to ATS supperintendent of police Om Prakash Jat, the accused was using Indian SIM card which was issued under the name Muhammad Saklain Thaim which was activated on a mobile phone belonging to Azgar Hajibai. The device was then transported to Anand to Maheshwari, on the instructions of a person associated with the Pakistan Embassy.

“Labhshankar Maheshwari was a Pakistani citizen who came to India in 1999, he got Indian citizenship later. His extended family is still in Pakistan,” Jat said.

The concerned WhatsApp number is still active in Pakistan. Maheshwari was targetting families of Army personnel posing as an official of the Army Public School.

The accused sent texts to his targets and encouraged to participate in a so-called competition, asking them to upload pictures with national flags. As per reports, Maheshwari sent contact details of Indian defence personnel to Pakistani agency.

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