Jammu and Kashmir police arrested a suspected Pakistani spy from Ramgarh sub sector in Samba district less than a day before BSF troopers killed 7 personnel of Pakistani Rangers and a terrorist in retaliatory fire in neighbouring Kathua district.
The arrest of the suspect identified as Bodh Raj, a resident of Changiya Village in Arnia area of RS Pura sector in Jammu district, comes at a time when there has been a rash of ceasefire violations by Pakistan both on the international border and the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir.
Security and intelligence agencies suspect that the agent had been passing classified information including locations of security forces in the state to his Pakistani handlers.
“This man is basically a notorious drug smuggler and he had been convicted for 10 years imprisonment by a local court under NDPS Act,” said a senior police officer. He had been jailed in Punjab.
“He was roaming under suspicious circumstances at Jaida village, barely 1.5 km from the International Border in Ramgarh sub sector when we nabbed him on Thursday night,” he added.
Two Pakistani SIM cards, one memory card and a restricted map depicting locations of security forces in Jammu and Kashmir were recovered from his possession, the officer said.
{{/usCountry}}Two Pakistani SIM cards, one memory card and a restricted map depicting locations of security forces in Jammu and Kashmir were recovered from his possession, the officer said.
{{/usCountry}}“We had put his phones under surveillance that helped us track his location,” said the officer. We have found Pakistani mobile phone numbers in his cell phones,” he said.
“We had to take him to a hospital in Ramgarh because he complained of high fever,” the officer said and added that blood tests confirmed that he had been suffering from typhoid.
The suspect has been shifted to Government medical college and hospital in Jammu for treatment.
Once he recovers, he will be interrogated, said the officer.
The 198-km long international border with Pakistan in Jammu region remains vulnerable to intrusion bid by Pak-based terrorists.
Several defence formations dot the Jammu-Pathankot highway including the Pathankot air base which was attacked by suspected Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists last January.