Suspected spy arrested in Rajasthan, supplied Indian SIM cards to Pakistan

Jaipur, May 30 (IANS) In a continued crackdown on espionage activities, intelligence agencies have arrested a suspected spy in Rajasthan for allegedly supplying Indian SIM cards to Pakistani intelligence operatives.

The accused, identified as Qasim, is a resident of Bharatpur district in Rajasthan. He was arrested by Delhi Police’s Special Task Force on Thursday and is currently in police custody.

This arrest comes shortly after the apprehension of another suspect, Shakoor Khan, also from Rajasthan, for similar charges.

According to police officials, Qasim had travelled to Pakistan twice -- the first time in August 2024 and then again in March 2025 -- spending a total of approximately 90 days there.

During these visits, he is suspected to have established contact with agents of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Authorities revealed that Qasim was supplying Indian SIM cards to ISI operatives, who then used these numbers to contact Indian citizens via WhatsApp.

The aim was to extract sensitive information related to the Indian Army and critical government institutions.

“In September 2024, the Special Cell/NDR received intelligence inputs indicating that Indian mobile numbers were being used by Pakistan Intelligence Operatives (PIOs) for espionage purposes.

During the investigation, Qasim’s name surfaced as a key suspect,” said a senior Delhi Police official.

Qasim had been under surveillance since September 2024. His movements and communications were closely monitored, leading to the discovery of his links with Pakistani handlers.

A case has been registered against Qasim under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Official Secrets Act.

Police are now working to uncover the full extent of the network involved in smuggling Indian SIM cards to Pakistan and gathering intelligence for the enemy nation. Officials said further arrests may follow as the investigation progresses.

On Wednesday night, Shakur Khan, the Personal Assistant of former Rajasthan Minister and MLA Saleh Mohammad, was arrested by the Rajasthan Police on espionage charges.

Khan, who works in the district employment office, was found to have phone numbers associated with Pakistan stored on his device, an official said.

--IANS

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