Police bust spy module for using CCTV feeds
In a major counter-terror and counter-espionage operation, the Special Cell of the Delhi Police has unmasked an inter-State module for installing solar-powered CCTV camera near international borders, vital Army cantonments and logistical corridors. At least 11 individuals have been arrested from different locations. The police claim they were working for Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and linked to the proscribed Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).
Additional Commissioner of Police, Special Cell Pramod Kushwah said, “Investigations have revealed that the network was primarily engaged in espionage, arms smuggling and reconnaissance of critical defence sites. The solar-powered cameras, equipped with SIM cards procured under fake identities, were strategically placed to capture real-time footage of Army and paramilitary movements. These devices operated without reliance on local electricity, ensuring uninterrupted surveillance even in remote areas”.
“Live video feeds were streamed directly to Pakistan-based handlers through mobile applications, bypassing local storage. Nine SIM cards, 24 mobile phones, four pistols, including three PX5 models and one country-made firearm and 24 live cartridges were recovered during the raids. Digital evidence, including photographs, videos, and location data of sensitive installations, was recovered from the devices, Kushwah said.
“The use of low-cost, solar-powered technology marks an evolution in hybrid warfare tactics, allowing discreet, long-term monitoring without drawing immediate attention. The operation underscores the growing challenge of hybrid threats combining espionage, terror financing and arms trafficking”. Kushwah added.
The accused, many of them unemployed youths, were allegedly lured with payments routed through UPI transactions funded by proceeds from illegal arms smuggling. Investigations have revealed the module operated as part of a larger nexus involving Pakistan-based handlers, gangsters and terror operatives. Recruits were divided into teams unaware of each other’s existence to maintain operational security. Their tasks extended beyond surveillance to facilitating logistics for potential terror acts, including a foiled plan for grenade attacks on security establishments.
“The module was not only gathering intelligence but also sustaining itself through a structured arms-smuggling pipeline, with foreign-made pistols distributed on instructions from across the border. Funds from these activities were routed back to support further reconnaissance and subversive operations, Kushwah told The Pioneer.
Central security agencies were alarmed to see that the camera locations were chosen with precision, focusing on areas with frequent troop movements, proximity to international borders, vital Army cantonments and logistical corridors. They had managed to install cameras in Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Pathankot, Patiala, and Moga in Punjab; Ambala in Haryana; Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir and Bikaner and Alwar in Rajasthan. Security agencies have marked these sites as ‘hyper sensitive’ noting that the module posed a serious threat to national security by enabling handlers across the border to monitor military logistics in real time.
The operation was carried out in two coordinated phases. In the first phase, six accused persons, three from Punjab and three from Delhi were detained for questioning and subsequently leading to the recovery of nine solar-powered CCTV cameras. Teams of Special Cell carried out raids at several placed in Punjab, which led to the arrest of five more suspects. They have been identified as Manpreet Singh, Anmol, Sahil, Atul Rathee, Rohit, Ajay, Gurjeet Singh, Rimpledeep Singh, Harpreet Singh alias Happy, Salwinder Singh alias Kalu and Boota Singh. Eight of the arrested eleven persons, hail from Punjab, reflecting the module’s deep roots in the sensitive border region that shares 553 kms of India’s International Boundary with Pakistan.
The arrests have triggered further probes into possible links with other operatives and funding channels. Intelligence agencies are now mapping the full extent of the network, including overseas handlers. As India grapples with persistent attempts at destabilisation from across the border, this case highlights the critical role of inter-agency coordination between state police, Military Intelligence and central agencies in safeguarding national security.
