The ongoing investigation into the espionage ring being run by a Pakistani diplomat Mehmood Akhtar has led police to two other Pakistani spies Mehar Khatoon and Umardeen who are on the run.
The duo have reportedly supplied classified Defence-related documents to Maulana Ramzan and Subhash Jangir, who in turn handed the same to Akhtar, who worked at Visa Section of Pakistani High Commission. Khatoon and Umardeen were located somewhere in Uttar Pradesh but have gone underground. Police teams have been sent to Uttar Pradesh to arrest the duo.
Sources said these spies had managed to penetrate into the Defence establishments and were procuring sensitive documents concerning the national security from certain corrupt officials. These officials are under the lens and a thorough check is being run before police moves to bring them to justice.
Delhi Police Crime Branch officials said on Friday that they have recovered classified documents and photos of Indian Army deployment at Sir Creek, documents pertaining to drawbacks in security along Sir Creek, photos of Sir Creek areas, map of the Marine boundary at Ormora, papers related to family pension cases and voluntary retirement of BSF staff. Police said the documents have been provided to them by some serving Army/BSF personnel. The Police said the documents recovered have serious implications on national security.
Interrogation of the three men Akhtar, Maulana and Subhash, revealed that Akhtar was getting instructions from Islamabad to gather classified information on deployment of Indian security forces along the western coast in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa, possibly to carry out a strike similar to 26/11 attack.
Meanwhile police recorded Shoaib’s statement, who was arrested from Jodhpur in Rajasthan and also made a video of it where he confessed to have supplied girls to Akhtar and also to some BSF and Army personnel. He also admitted to have been working as a spy agent for Pakistan's notorious intelligence wing ISI.
"A list of BSF and Army personnel contact numbers were recovered from the possession of Shoaib along with a phablet (an eletronic device), a Pakistan High Commission visiting card and other confidential documents. He was in touch with certain Army/BSF personnel and would supply girls to them demanding classified documents. An affidavit of another Pakistani national attested by a notary in Sindh was also found in his possession. There is a big syndicate working and more arrests will taken place" said police after interrogating Shoaib.
Shoaib also told police that he would get a minimum of `1 lakh for certain classified documents he would pass on to Akhtar. “Shoaib visited Pakistan where his maternal grandparents live at least six times and reported the developments to senior ISI officers,”said Ravindra Yada, joint commissioner of police (Crime).
Investigators said they will try to recover data from the 'phablet' seized from his possession, which he had tried to damage when police in Jodhpur detained him on Thursday.
Shoaib was in touch with the Pakistan High Commission diplomat Akhtar for the last three-four years, the Joint CP said.
While Subhash and Maulana told police that Shoaib was also present in Delhi Zoo when they were handing over the documents to Akhtar, Shoaib claimed that he was in a hotel. "He had stayed in the hotel while the other two went to the zoo for handing over documents. When he saw that the mobile phones of the other two were switched off, he sensed something wrong," said Yadav.
The officer also said Shoaib, who was remanded to 11 days police custody by a Delhi court on Friday, will be questioned along with Subhash and Maulana to clear the contradictions in their versions.
While Akhtar was on Thursday declared persona non grata, Subhash and Maulana have been arrested on charges of sharing of sensitive information and Defence documents and deployment details of BSF along the Indo-Pak border.
While Maulana taught around 40 kids in 'Qureshiyon ka masjid', Subhash ran a kirana shop and Shoaib was in his family business of cloth shop in Jodhpur. He also worked as a passport and visa agent.
Subhash had reportedly contested the 2013 Assembly elections from Khinwsar Assembly seat in Nagaur district of Rajasthan as an Independent candidate but lost.
Akhtar, described as the kingpin of an ISI spy ring, belongs to the Baloch regiment of Pakistani Army and was on deputation to the spy agency since 2013. Investigators probing the case suspect five more people from the Pakistani mission may be involved in the espionage ring.