A resident of Punjab's Pathankot has been arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan-based handlers, allegedly sending them a live feed of the troop movements in the area.
Punjab police said on Thursday that according to the preliminary investigation, the man, identified as Baljit Singh, is a resident of Chakk Dhariwal village in Pathankot. He had installed a CCTV camera at a shop located near a bridge on the National Highway-44 to allegedly keep an eye on the movement of the army and paramilitary forces.
The police officials quoted in a PTI report said that the accused was allegedly transmitting the live feed to Pakistan-based handlers.
The confession
During questioning after the arrest, the accused confessed that he had installed an internet-based CCTV camera at a shop on the NH-44 Pathankot-Jammu Highway in January this year.
The police have said that Singh was also getting directions from an unknown person in Dubai. He was given ₹40,000, police claimed.
The officials said that the Police recovered the CCTV camera from his possession.
Notably, last month, police had busted two Pakistan's ISI-backed espionage modules using high-tech, China-made solar-powered CCTV cameras to transmit live feeds of sensitive military locations to Pakistan-based handlers.
Two modules busted last month
A module was busted by the Counter Intelligence Wing in Punjab’s Jalandhar, with the arrest of one operative and the recovery of one China-made CCTV camera, along with a USB-connected solar plate with 4G connectivity, from his possession.
The other module was dismantled by the Kapurthala Police in a joint operation with a central agency, resulting in the arrest of two individuals, the recovery of four mobile phones linked to foreign handlers, and the seizure of one SIM-based CCTV camera and one WiFi set.
{{/usCountry}}The other module was dismantled by the Kapurthala Police in a joint operation with a central agency, resulting in the arrest of two individuals, the recovery of four mobile phones linked to foreign handlers, and the seizure of one SIM-based CCTV camera and one WiFi set.
{{/usCountry}}Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said these modules were strategically installing SIM-based, solar-powered CCTV cameras at various locations to monitor sensitive sites, including establishments linked to defence forces, to transmit live footage to Pakistan-based handlers through mobile applications.
"These Chinese cameras are ideal for off-grid surveillance as they operate via 4G connectivity and solar power, bypassing the need for traditional wiring," he pointed out.