Devesh K. Pandey
NEW DELHI: A Pakistani national allegedly involved in espionage activities has been arrested at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here by the Special Cell of the Delhi police. Several defence-related and sensitive documents have purportedly been seized from him.
The suspect, whose identity has been kept a secret in the interest of investigations, was about to board a flight to Dubai when he was intercepted by the Special Cell sleuths on Thursday, following a tip-off by Central intelligence agencies. They checked his passport, purportedly issued from Lucknow, and found that it was obtained fraudulently.
Subsequently, he was interrogated in coordination with intelligence officials and Special Cell sleuths.
On checking his personal belongings, the police reportedly found several photographs and hand-drawn maps of an Air Force base near here and the Army’s Meerut Cantonment in Uttar Pradesh. Besides these, other security sensitive documents were also found, sources said.
Based on the findings, the Special Cell arrested the accused on espionage charges. During interrogation, he reportedlyclaimed that he was from Karachi in Pakistan. After being induced by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence to work as a spy against monetary compensation, he was trained and then sent to Nepal by air, from where he illegally entered the country through the porous Indo-Nepal border, sources said.
The accused disclosed that he had been staying in the Shahdara area of northeast Delhi for the past four years. According to sources, he managed to procure some identification documents — like a driving licence — showing him as an Indian citizen.
The police have so far not come across any evidence to suggest that the accused had earlier gone out of India through legal or illegal means. He remained in contact with his Pakistan-based handlers mostly through e-mail. He made calls using public telephones that are now being identified. Efforts are also being made to extract details of the e-mails sent by him. The accused is being taken to different parts of U.P., including Lucknow, to identify the places he visited and also to track down his local contacts.
NEW DELHI: A Pakistani national allegedly involved in espionage activities has been arrested at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here by the Special Cell of the Delhi police. Several defence-related and sensitive documents have purportedly been seized from him.
The suspect, whose identity has been kept a secret in the interest of investigations, was about to board a flight to Dubai when he was intercepted by the Special Cell sleuths on Thursday, following a tip-off by Central intelligence agencies. They checked his passport, purportedly issued from Lucknow, and found that it was obtained fraudulently.
Subsequently, he was interrogated in coordination with intelligence officials and Special Cell sleuths.
On checking his personal belongings, the police reportedly found several photographs and hand-drawn maps of an Air Force base near here and the Army’s Meerut Cantonment in Uttar Pradesh. Besides these, other security sensitive documents were also found, sources said.
Based on the findings, the Special Cell arrested the accused on espionage charges. During interrogation, he reportedlyclaimed that he was from Karachi in Pakistan. After being induced by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence to work as a spy against monetary compensation, he was trained and then sent to Nepal by air, from where he illegally entered the country through the porous Indo-Nepal border, sources said.
The accused disclosed that he had been staying in the Shahdara area of northeast Delhi for the past four years. According to sources, he managed to procure some identification documents — like a driving licence — showing him as an Indian citizen.
The police have so far not come across any evidence to suggest that the accused had earlier gone out of India through legal or illegal means. He remained in contact with his Pakistan-based handlers mostly through e-mail. He made calls using public telephones that are now being identified. Efforts are also being made to extract details of the e-mails sent by him. The accused is being taken to different parts of U.P., including Lucknow, to identify the places he visited and also to track down his local contacts.
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