ISI-BKI 'espionage' network targeting defence hubs busted, Pg8

Key Highlights:

• Delhi Police Special Cell dismantled an interstate terror, arms smuggling, and espionage module allegedly backed by ISI and Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).
• 11 people were arrested in coordinated operations across Delhi and Punjab over two weeks.
• Authorities recovered arms, surveillance equipment like solar-powered CCTV cameras, and incriminating materials.
• The accused were allegedly in direct contact with handlers based in Pakistan through encrypted messaging platforms.
• The module was involved in espionage, arms trafficking, and terror planning, including potential attacks on security establishments.

Detailed Insights:

• The espionage activities included covert surveillance targeting military and paramilitary installations.
• Arms trafficking involved distributing foreign-made weapons under the direction of handlers in Pakistan.
• The accused allegedly transmitted live feeds from CCTV cameras installed near sensitive defense establishments to handlers in Pakistan.
• Funds for the module were generated through arms smuggling and other illegal activities, transferred via UPI accounts.
• Investigations suggest a larger conspiracy involving cross-border handlers, local operatives, and criminal elements.
• The accused were reportedly being radicalized and recruited to carry out subversive acts, including planned grenade attacks.
• The operation was conducted based on inputs from military intelligence, highlighting inter-agency cooperation.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Espionage: The practice of spying or using spies to gather secret information, especially concerning a government or organization.
• ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence): Pakistan's premier intelligence agency.
• Babbar Khalsa International (BKI): A banned Sikh militant organization.
• Radicalization: The process by which an individual or group comes to adopt increasingly extreme political, social, or religious ideals.