ISI agents posed as models on Facebook to honeytrap IAF officer into spying for Pakistan

NEW DELHI: A Special Cell of the Delhi Police on Friday arrested Indian Air Force officer Arun Marwah for allegedly spying for Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). A Group Captain, the IAF officer was arrested on charges of leaking classified details and documents of Indian operations to Pakistan.

It took around six months for ISI to honey-trap the officer into sharing the top-secret details. 

The 51-year-old IAF officer, due to retire next month, used to train MARCOS, Garud and Para-Commandos. His son is an IAF fighter pilot. 

Marwah was reportedly very active on social media, particularly on Facebook, where would upload videos and pictures of himself regularly.

Six months back he received two friend requests on Facebook, sources told Zee Media. Marwah readily accepted the requests.

What the IAF officer didn't know at the time, is that Pakistan's ISI agents had prepared two fake profiles of Kiran Randhawa and Mahima Patel. The users had images of glamorous fashion models. 

Initially, the chats were limited to comments and likes.

Soon, the chats grew explicit in nature, with the agents using videos to lure Marwah. The ISI, who used proxy servers and VoIP to mask their digital footprint, started saving the chats. 

Three months ago, they agents digitally honeytrapped and threatened to make the chats public.

Instead of informing authorities, Marwah succumbed to their demands. In mid-January, the IAF officer shared top-secret documents related to Defence Cyber Agency, Defence Space Agency and Special Operations with the agency on WhatsApp. 

“An IAF officer was arrested on the basis on a complaint by Indian Air Force authorities. The allegation is that IAF officer Arun Marwah leaked sensitive documents. It looks like a matter of honey-trap. An investigation is currently going on,” said DCP Pramod Kushwaha.

Marwah has now confessed to leaking documents in front of special cell officers and IAF officers, sources told Zee.