A businessman in Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur has been arrested for allegedly spying for Pakistan, the police said on Sunday. The accused, Shahzad, was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police’s Special Task Force (STF) from Moradabad following inputs about his alleged involvement in cross-border smuggling and espionage activities for Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
He was also passing sensitive information related to national security to his handlers, the STF said in a statement.
Shahzad had travelled to Pakistan multiple times over the years and was allegedly smuggling cosmetics, clothes, spices, and other items across the border, the agency said.
His illegal trade served as a cover for conducting his covert operations for the ISI, the STF said.
The investigation also revealed that Shahzad used to provide money and Indian SIM cards to the ISI agents in India.
The STF claimed he also used to send people from the Rampur district and other parts of Uttar Pradesh to Pakistan to work for the ISI.
“The visas of these people were arranged by the ISI agents,” the agency said.
YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra Arrested For Spying For Pakistan
Shahzad’s arrest comes days after a Haryana-based YouTuber was arrested on the charge of passing on sensitive information to Pakistani intelligence operatives.
Jyoti Malhotra, who runs a YouTube channel called ‘Travel with JO’ and has over three lakh subscribers, was allegedly in contact with a Pakistani staffer working at the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi.
On May 13, India expelled that Pakistani official for allegedly indulging in espionage.
She also uploaded some videos from her visit to Pakistan — ‘Indian Girl in Pakistan‘, ‘Indian Girl Exploring Lahore’, ‘Indian Girl at Katas Raj Temple’ and ‘Indian Girl Rides Luxury Bus in Pakistan’ on her YouTube channel.
These arrests come amid tensions between India and Pakistan following the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that left 26 people dead.
