12 Held in Two Weeks as Cops Unmask Pakistan-Linked Spy Ring

At least 12 individuals, including a YouTuber and two women, have been arrested from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh on espionage charges over the past two weeks. Investigations suggest they were part of a Pakistan-linked spy network operating throughout northern India.

Security agencies have detained six suspects from Punjab, five from Haryana, and one from Uttar Pradesh. Among them, Hisar-based travel vlogger Jyoti Malhotra and 31-year-old Guzala from Punjab were allegedly in contact with Ehsan-ur-Rahim, also known as Danish, a Pakistani official who was expelled from the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi on May 13 for espionage activities.

According to police reports, the suspects were passing sensitive information to Pakistani intelligence operatives (PIOs). Authorities are currently conducting thorough investigations into their financial transactions and analyzing their electronic devices.

On May 4, Punjab Police arrested Falaksher Masih and Suraj Masih from Ajnala in Amritsar for allegedly sharing photographs of cantonment areas and airbases with Pakistan's ISI. A week later, on May 11, Guzala and her associate Yameen Mohamad from Malerkotla were apprehended for their connections with Danish. Guzala reportedly confessed to leaking Army information and receiving payments of Rs 10,000 and Rs 20,000 via UPI. 

Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav announced on Monday that Sukhpreet Singh and Karanbir Singh were arrested on May 15 for "sharing classified details related to Operation Sindoor, including troop movement and key locations in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and J&K with the ISI."

In Haryana, authorities arrested 24-year-old Nauman Ilahi, a factory security guard from Kairana in Uttar Pradesh who was residing in Panipat. The following day, police detained 25-year-old postgraduate student Devender Singh in Kaithal for alleged links with Pakistani operatives after visiting Pakistan on a pilgrimage last November. He reportedly admitted to sending photographs of Patiala cantonment.

YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra first encountered Danish at the Pakistan High Commission while applying for a visa in 2023. Hisar police stated that Pakistani agents were grooming her as an asset, and she maintained contact with Danish during the four-day military conflict following Operation Sindoor.

On Sunday, Haryana police arrested 26-year-old Armaan from Nuh for espionage activities. Another suspect, Mohammad Tarif, a local quack from Kangarka village in Nuh, was detained on Monday.  

In Uttar Pradesh, the Special Task Force in Moradabad apprehended Shahzad for alleged involvement in cross-border smuggling and espionage. Officials claim he made multiple trips to Pakistan and smuggled various items including cosmetics, clothing, and spices.