New Delhi: Two Pakistani High Commission officials were caught red-handed from Delhi’s Karol Bagh area on Sunday while trying to source classified information about India’s defence system and Army establishments.
The two officials, Abdi Hussain Abeed, aged 42 and Tahir Khan, aged 44 reportedly went to Karol Bagh area to meet their contact and it was then the security officials swooped down on them. A fake Aadhaar card by the name of Nasir Gotam and 2 Apple iPhone was recovered from them.
Pak spies caught after weeks of surveillance
According to India Today TV report, the Military Intelligence Unit had got a tip-off few weeks back about the two Pakistani spies who were using fake ID to roam around in the city and were on a mission to extract confidential information by befriending people connected to Indian Army.
Since then, the two High Commission staff were under watch of security agencies. The spies were on the lookout for classified information on Indian defence establishments as well as deployment of Army on border areas. They also had communication channel set up with Pak intelligence agency ISI, which would give them a list of people to contact and extract info.
According to officials, Tahir and Abeed used fake identities to roam around in the city and came under the radar of intelligence agencies while talking to their contacts on mobile.
Initially disguised identity, revealed truth when grilled
On Sunday, when they went to meet their contact in Karol Bagh, the special cell of Delhi Police & military intelligence team laid a trap to catch them red-handed. After nabbing them in Karol Bagh, when cops questioned them, they initially claimed that they were Indians and even produced fake Aadhar cards.
Later, during interrogation, they confessed they were officials at the Pakistan High Commission and worked for the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI),” a police official said.
जासूसी के आरोप में पाक उच्चायोग के दो अधिकारी रंगे हाथ गिरफ्तार, देश छोड़ने का दिया गया आदेश |#India #Pakistan|
read- https://t.co/NKXbdIDRPR pic.twitter.com/rp2DXSeDLg
— Newsroom Post (@NewsroomPostCom) June 1, 2020
According to ET, the Pakistani spies were trying to extract information regarding Indian Army and Indian Railways.
“One of the spies named Tahir was actively pursuing officers and middle-rung employees using money and in some cases honey-trap them using social media accounts. The details regarding Indian officials to be contacted were shared by his senior in Pakistan. Personal social media accounts of government officials in India were monitored closely,” a senior police official told the Economic Times.
Meanwhile, both officials of Pak High Commission named Tahir Khan and Abeed Hussain have been declared ‘persona non-grata’ and have been told to leave the country within 24 hours.
