AI Generated Summary
- A year after Operation Sindoor, Indian security agencies have uncovered an extensive espionage network backed by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), leading to the arrest of hundreds of suspects across the country over the past year.
- According to a Punjab Police assessment on ISI-linked activities, 457 individuals suspected of spying for Pakistan or maintaining links with Pakistani Intelligence Operatives (PIOs) have been identified and apprehended across 17 states and Union Territories since May 2025.
- He stated that intelligence gathered by Punjab Police was shared with central agencies and police units in several states, helping authorities identify hundreds of suspects and disrupt espionage activity before sensitive information could be compromised.
A year after Operation Sindoor, Indian security agencies have uncovered an extensive espionage network backed by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), leading to the arrest of hundreds of suspects across the country over the past year.
According to a Punjab Police assessment on ISI-linked activities, 457 individuals suspected of spying for Pakistan or maintaining links with Pakistani Intelligence Operatives (PIOs) have been identified and apprehended across 17 states and Union Territories since May 2025. Officials say the crackdown follows a sharp escalation in espionage attempts after Pakistan’s military setback during Operation Sindoor.
Investigators claim the ISI intensified efforts to gather intelligence related to troop deployments, strategic installations and border activity. Operatives used social media platforms, encrypted communication applications and financial inducements routed through hawala channels to recruit Indian contacts.
Senior police officials said one of the most concerning trends detected recently involved the use of SIM-enabled solar-powered surveillance cameras near military and police facilities. Punjab Police’s Counter Intelligence Wing reportedly intercepted multiple attempts in late March and early April 2026 before the devices could become operational.
Authorities allege the cameras were intended to remotely transmit live footage of military movement to handlers based across the border. Following the discovery, security advisories were circulated nationwide and verification drives launched to detect similar installations.
Punjab Director General of Police said the state remained a primary target because of its border location and historical vulnerability to cross-border networks. He stated that intelligence gathered by Punjab Police was shared with central agencies and police units in several states, helping authorities identify hundreds of suspects and disrupt espionage activity before sensitive information could be compromised.
The spy network extended far beyond Punjab. Police action linked to the intelligence inputs was reported in Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Jammu and Kashmir, Telangana, Bihar, Manipur, Nagaland and Chandigarh, among other regions.
Among the notable arrests was a Haryana-based YouTuber accused of maintaining contact with an official from the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi. Investigators alleged that she was introduced to additional Pakistani operatives during visits to Pakistan. The diplomat she was linked to was later declared persona non grata and expelled by the Indian government.
In another case, Haryana Police arrested a factory security guard from Uttar Pradesh on allegations of transmitting information to Pakistani handlers over a prolonged period. Multiple passports and documents considered suspicious were reportedly seized during the investigation.
Security agencies also detained a Kaithal resident accused of photographing a military cantonment after travelling to Pakistan through the Kartarpur Corridor. In Rajasthan, a cleric trained in Lahore was arrested over claims of passing intelligence in return for payments from Pakistani operatives. His brother was later apprehended for arranging Indian SIM cards for foreign handlers.
Punjab witnessed several arrests linked to the network. Authorities accused suspects from Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran of leaking information related to army cantonments, troop movement and strategic locations. One accused individual was also reportedly connected to a Khalistani extremist network, while another Punjab-based YouTuber was arrested for purported links with a cross-border terror and smuggling syndicate.
Police officials maintain that the investigations are ongoing and warn that espionage tactics are evolving rapidly, with digital communication tools and remote surveillance technology increasingly being used to bypass conventional security checks.
Security agencies say intensified coordination between state police forces and central intelligence units will continue as authorities attempt to dismantle cross-border espionage and terror-support networks operating within India.
