The counter-intelligence wing of the Jalandhar police, in a joint operation with central agencies and Kapurthala police, on Thursday dismantled two sophisticated ISI-backed espionage modules operating out of Kapurthala.
The operation led to the arrest of three Ferozepur-based individuals, including key operative Sukhwinder Singh, alias Sukha, and two other youths. Authorities seized four mobile phones linked to foreign handlers along with hi-tech, China-made solar CCTV equipment featuring 4G connectivity.
The bust comes amid heightened security concerns regarding the use of low-cost, high-efficiency technology for remote intelligence gathering.
Punjab director general of police Gaurav Yadav confirmed that the module’s primary objective was the covert monitoring of sensitive sites, particularly army establishments. These solar-powered units allowed for continuous, autonomous surveillance, streaming live footage directly to handlers in Pakistan via specialised mobile applications.
“Preliminary investigation reveals that the accused, along with his accomplices, had been installing these solar-powered CCTV cameras at multiple locations to monitor sensitive sites, including establishments linked to the army, and transmitting live footage to Pakistan-based handlers through mobile applications,” the DGP said.
Following the arrests, a case was registered at the state special operation cell (SSOC) in Amritsar.
Kapurthala senior superintendent of police Gaurav Toora said the ISI handler is the same in both linked espionage cases. “Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused were in direct contact with Pakistan-based handlers and had allegedly installed a CCTV device with SIM-based connectivity to transmit live footage of sensitive locations through mobile applications,” Toora said.
Law-enforcement agencies are currently conducting a deep-dive investigation into the module’s logistical chain to uncover the broader network and the specific technical channels used to facilitate this breach of national security.
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