Cracking the 'spy ring': YouTuber, students and smugglers in North India’s Pakistan-linked espionage network - The Times of India

NEW DELHI: India has launched a sweeping crackdown connected an alleged Pakistan-linked espionage web operating successful the bluish states, arresting astatine slightest 12 individuals, including a fashionable YouTuber, connected charges of spying implicit the past fortnight. The suspects were picked up from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh amid heightened concerns pursuing the Pahalgam panic onslaught and the military’s Operation Sindoor.Also read: 'Told maine she was going to Delhi, not Pakistan': YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra's begetter makes U-turnTwo women, Haryana-based influencer Jyoti Malhotra and 31-year-old Guzala from Punjab, were reportedly successful interaction with a Pakistani quality officer, Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, posted astatine the Pakistan High Commission successful New Delhi. On May 13, India expelled the Pakistani authoritative for alleged engagement successful espionage activities.Investigators assertion those arrested were relaying delicate subject and strategical accusation to Pakistani handlers. Forensic investigation of integer devices and fiscal transactions is underway, constabulary said.

Among the archetypal arrests, Falaksher Masih and Suraj Masih from Amritsar were taken into custody connected 4 May for allegedly leaking photographs and details astir service cantonments and airbases adjacent the Pakistan borderline to ISI operatives. More arrests followed connected 11 May, including Guzala and Yameen Mohammad from Malerkotla, who were allegedly paid via UPI transfers for sharing confidential subject details.Police accidental Guzala confessed to sharing accusation with Danish for fiscal gain, receiving Rs 30,000 successful 2 transactions.On May 13, 2 much men Sukhpreet Singh and Karanbir Singh from Gurdaspur were detained. They were allegedly progressive successful leaking information connected unit movements during Operation Sindoor and strategical locations successful Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. Weapons and physics grounds were seized during the arrests.“During the investigation, it was besides discovered that they were antecedently progressive successful cause smuggling activities, done which they came into interaction with ISI handlers. Their fiscal transactions, including online and currency dealings, besides came nether scrutiny,” said Gurdaspur SSP Aditya.In Haryana, 24-year-old Nauman Ilahi was arrested successful Panipat connected 15 May for allegedly supplying accusation to Pakistan. Ilahi, primitively from Uttar Pradesh, was reportedly successful interaction with an ISI handler. A time later, constabulary arrested Devender Singh, a postgraduate pupil from Kaithal, who had travelled to Pakistan successful November 2023 and was allegedly successful interaction with 4 Pakistani operatives.Kaithal SP Astha Modi confirmed Singh’s apprehension and said, “The accused Devendra Singh is 25 years aged and a archetypal twelvemonth MA pupil astatine a assemblage successful Patiala. He was successful interaction with 4 Pakistani quality operatives (PIOs) - 3 men and a woman… We person searched his house, forensic audit of his slope accounts is being done… Around 300 GB of information has been obtained and we are analysing the data… The anticipation of a honeytrap cannot beryllium ruled out.”YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, who runs the ‘Travel with JO’ transmission with implicit 3.7 lakh subscribers, was arrested connected May 16 from Hisar. Her videos see titles similar “Indian Girl successful Pakistan” and “Indian Girl Exploring Lahore”. According to police, she met Danish astatine the Pakistan High Commission successful 2023 portion applying for a visa. Hisar SP Shashank Kumar Sawan said Malhotra was being “developed arsenic an asset” by PIOs during the subject struggle pursuing Operation Sindoor.“This is besides (a benignant of) warfare, successful which they effort to propulsion their communicative by recruiting influencers,” Sawan said.Malhotra, who has visited Pakistan aggregate times and besides travelled to China, is nether five-day constabulary remand.In further developments, Haryana Police arrested 26-year-old Armaan from Nuh and a section quack, Mohammad Tarif, connected espionage charges. Tarif is accused of providing a SIM paper to a Pakistani authoritative and has reportedly confessed to visiting Pakistan.Meanwhile, successful Uttar Pradesh, Shahzad from Rampur was arrested by the Special Task Force for allegedly passing delicate accusation to ISI handlers portion engaging successful cross-border smuggling of goods similar cosmetics and spices.