Pathankot Resident Arrested for Spying on Military Activities

Arrest of a Suspected Spy in Pathankot

A resident of Pathankot, Punjab, has been apprehended on charges of espionage for Pakistani agents. Authorities allege that he was transmitting live feeds of military operations in the area. The Punjab police reported on Thursday that the suspect, identified as Baljeet Singh, hails from the village of Chakk Dhariwal in Pathankot. He reportedly installed a CCTV camera near a shop located by a bridge on National Highway-44, allegedly to monitor the activities of the army and paramilitary forces. According to police officials, the accused was sending live footage to his handlers based in Pakistan.

Confession During Interrogation

During questioning following his arrest, Singh admitted to setting up an internet-based CCTV camera in January this year at a shop along the Pathankot-Jammu highway.

Funding from Dubai

The police revealed that Singh was receiving instructions from an unidentified individual based in Dubai. They claim he was paid ₹40,000 for his activities. Authorities have recovered the CCTV camera from his possession. Notably, last month, police dismantled two espionage modules supported by Pakistan's ISI, which were using high-tech solar-powered CCTV cameras manufactured in China to send live feeds of sensitive military locations to their operators in Pakistan.

Previous Module Busts

In a separate incident, the Counter Intelligence Wing in Jalandhar uncovered a module, leading to the arrest of one operative and the seizure of a Chinese-made CCTV camera along with a USB-connected solar panel with 4G connectivity. Another module was dismantled by the Kapurthala police in a joint operation with a central agency, resulting in the arrest of two individuals and the recovery of four mobile phones linked to foreign operators, as well as a SIM-based CCTV camera and a Wi-Fi set.