Revealed: How Pakistan's ISI spy racket operated in India

New Delhi: Suspected agents of Pakistan's spy agency Inter Services Intelligence (ISI)  have revealed to the interrogators how they operated in India and what was their modus operandi hours after the Indian intelligence agencies busted a massive espionage ring and arrested several persons in this regard.

Those arrested are being brought to Delhi where they will be grilled by various intelligence agencies for more leads on Monday.

Also Read: Pakistan's ISI spy ring busted in India, BSF jawan among 2 held in Jammu, 3 agents apprehended in Kolkata

Meanwhile, MoS Home Kiren Rijiju said today that legal action will be taken against all those involved and they will be dealt with strictly in accordance with law.

The Crime Branch of Delhi Police had on Sunday busted the espionage racket supported by Pakistan’s ISI and detained a suspected handler of this organisation and a serving BSF jawan.

According to news agency ANI, the serving head constable of the BSF has been arrested for being the main source for Pakistan Intelligence Operative (PIO) for procuring secret/confidential information detrimental for security of the country.

Both of them - BSF head constable and the Pakistan Intelligence Operative - have been arrested under the provisions of Official Secret Act.

The accused duo have been identified as Kafaitullah Khan alias Master Raja (44), a resident of Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir, and BSF head constable Abdul Rasheed, posted at the intelligence wing of Border Security Force in the same district.

"Khan is a handler of Pakistani intelligence operatives, and Rasheed was one of his chief sources. They were running an espionage racket which was supported by Pakistan's ISI," said Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Ravindra Yadav.

"Both were arrested under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Official Secrets Act," he added.

Yadav said the Crime Branch team arrested Khan from the Jammu Railway Station on November 26 when he had boarded a train for Bhopal. "Later, his relative Rasheed was held."

Yadav said the operation was conducted following tip-offs about ongoing anti-national activities sponsored by Pakistan's ISI, which is suspected to have a network of civilian handlers and security personnel in various parts of the country.

"Some secret documents related to national security were also seized from their possession," the official said.

Yadav said Khan has contacts in India's security agencies through which he was procuring secret information detrimental to the security of the country.

Khan disclosed that he was working as library assistant at a higher secondary school in Manjakote in Rajouri district, Yadav said.

"Khan had visited Pakistan in 2013 where he came in contact with an ISI agent and in lieu of monetary benefit, he agreed to provide secret information about the defence forces.

"He later cultivated his sources in the army and the BSF and they started passing on information to Pakistani intelligence operatives. The information was passed through email, WhatsApp and Viber," Yadav said. They acted in a highly secretive manner so as to avoid any leaks and detection by the Indian intelligence agencies.

Yadav said Khan was given specific tasks by ISI, mainly relating to the deployment of security forces and Indian Air Force operations. Few others have been arrested from Meerut and more arrests are likely to be made in connection with the massive espionage racket busted by the Crime Branch.