NIA registers two espionage cases linked to Pakistan intelligence operatives in West Bengal
· India · Hindustan Times, The Hindu
The National Investigation Agency has registered two separate cases to investigate suspected espionage networks in West Bengal allegedly linked to Pakistan Intelligence Operatives. Officials are examining how Indian SIM cards were activated and used to create WhatsApp accounts operated from across the border, with four individuals named from Paschim Medinipur and Murshidabad allegedly facilitating the misuse of Indian phone numbers to share sensitive information. In one case, Sheikh Mursalin and Goutam Khanra from Paschim Medinipur were allegedly involved in selling and activating SIM cards, for which they were paid a few thousand rupees per SIM. NIA suspects around 400 SIM cards may have been activated using this method in recent years, with the second case involving Sheikh Juhab and Sheikh Suman from Murshidabad. Both cases were previously investigated by the West Bengal Special Task Force and recently handed over by the ministry of home affairs to the NIA to unearth a larger conspir
Why it matters
The probe exposes a possible cross-border misuse of Indian SIM cards by hostile elements to share sensitive information with Pakistan-based handlers, directly impacting national security and raising concerns about the facilitation of espionage networks operating within Indian territory.
Read the original report — Hindustan Times
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