Espionage Network Under Scanner
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has unearthed a major espionage racket involving a CRPF assistant sub-inspector (ASI) accused of spying for Pakistani intelligence. The officer, Moti Ram Jat, was arrested on May 27 for allegedly passing on sensitive military information to operatives of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Investigators revealed that Jat had been in contact with an ISI handler codenamed Salim Ahmed since 2023. The operative, based in Lahore, reportedly communicated with Jat and at least 15 other Indian phone numbers linked to the Army, paramilitary forces, and central government staff.
Sources confirmed that the discovery came after a detailed analysis of call detail records (CDRs) and internet protocol logs. “Four of the identified numbers were traced to Army personnel, four to paramilitary forces, and seven to employees of central government departments,” officials told The Indian Express.
Kolkata Connection and Financial Trail
The NIA’s probe has also uncovered how the Pakistani operative gained access to Indian SIM cards. A Kolkata-based man, who married a Pakistani national in 2007 and shifted to Pakistan in 2014, allegedly helped procure SIM cards. He would travel to Kolkata twice a year and provided one such SIM’s activation OTP directly to the ISI handler in Lahore.
Investigations further revealed that Jat received regular payments of up to ₹12,000 per month for nearly two years in exchange for classified information. The money was deposited into the bank accounts of Jat and his wife from multiple states, including Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, and West Bengal.
Officials said one of the senders, identified as Shahzad, was arrested earlier in May by the Uttar Pradesh ATS for aiding ISI handlers. Shahzad was also engaged in cross-border smuggling of clothes, spices, and cosmetics. He admitted transferring ₹3,500 to Jat after being asked by a fellow train passenger to make an online transaction on their behalf.
Honeytrap Angle and Classified Leaks
According to investigators, Jat was initially trapped by a woman who posed as a journalist with a Chandigarh-based television channel. Through regular phone and video interactions, she gained his trust before convincing him to share official documents.
Later, the communication was taken over by a man who introduced himself as a journalist but was, in fact, a Pakistani official. Using this ruse, he continued extracting sensitive details from the CRPF officer.
Reports suggest that Jat allegedly shared multiple classified documents that included:
- Deployment details of security personnel.
- Multi-Agency Centre (MAC) reports posted on official WhatsApp groups.
- Troop movement data.
- Inputs on terrorist activities and locations.
The intelligence leak has raised concerns over operational security in sensitive zones.
Expanding Probe and National Security Concerns
The revelations have sent shockwaves through India’s security establishment. The fact that the Pakistani operative was in touch with 15 different numbers across the Army, paramilitary, and central government indicates a possible wider espionage network.
Agencies are now scanning the financial transactions, call records, and social media footprints of those linked numbers to ascertain whether more officials were compromised.
Security experts warn that such leaks pose a serious threat to national security, especially in border states like Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, and Rajasthan, where troop deployments and counter-terror operations are highly sensitive.
A senior officer noted, “The pattern of payments, honeytraps, and use of SIM cards shows the ISI is employing both traditional and digital espionage tactics. The investigation will reveal whether this was an isolated breach or part of a larger network.”