SIA’s crackdown on spy network in Jammu
21 suspected spies identified, mobile phones seized
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, May 23: Following arrest of Haryana Youtuber Jyoti Malhotra and over a dozen other spies across the country after Operation Sindoor, the State Investigation Agency (SIA) today launched a major crackdown on 21 suspected spies by carrying out raids at their 18 locations in four districts across the Jammu region.
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This was the first major operation by the SIA Jammu post Operation Sindoor after interception of certain suspicious messages exchanged by individuals across the border as well as within Jammu and Kashmir which will be investigated to ascertain links of the suspects.
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Officials told the Excelsior that a total of 21 persons were under radar of the SIA in Poonch, Rajouri, Ramban and Udhampur districts and their 18 locations, mostly houses, were searched today by different teams of the agency simultaneously today.
Declining to disclose identity of the suspects, the officials said this will be done if it is established that they passed on the information before and during Operation Sindoor to “persons across the border” as well as within Jammu and Kashmir which was sensitive in nature and could have helped the enemy and the terrorists.
“We have withheld names of the suspects involved in espionage racket to track their further angles. Likely, they can disclose some more names who could be in touch with those sitting across the border or within J&K,” they said.
Four districts where 18 locations of 21 suspects were raided include Poonch, Rajouri, Ramban and Udhampur.
Fifteen locations were searched in Poonch district including 12 in Surankote and three in Haveli and one each in Rajouri town, Ramnagar in Udhampur district and Ramban which indicated that espionage racket had well established roots in the border district of Poonch.
Officials said the incriminating material recovered from suspects during raids on their premises include mobile telephones whose data will be thoroughly investigated to ascertain nature of messages exchanged with persons across the border and within J&K.
“It is not that the suspects got activated just before or during Operation Sindoor but it is believed that they were doing this job earlier also and may be sounding terrorists and their mentors across about movement of security forces, their camps etc,” the officials said and added that the data deleted from mobile telephones will also be retrieved with help of the experts.
All 21 suspects were males but one of them was using the mobile phone whose SIM was in the name of a woman.
As per the officials, all suspects have been called to the SIA office one by one to join investigations and, if required, they will also be cross-examined.
The raids were executed simultaneously by specialized SIA teams, supported by local police and Magistrates, as part of the agency’s ongoing campaign to dismantle sleeper cells and disrupt terror networks in the region, an official statement issued by the SIA said.
It said a considerable quantity of incriminating material has been seized, which has been secured in accordance with established legal protocols. The material is currently under detailed scrutiny, and further investigation is underway.
“These actions follow the development of actionable intelligence and lead inputs gathered during the SIA’s sustained efforts to uncover and neutralize terror-support structures operating covertly within Jammu province. The SIA remains committed to eradicating the terror infrastructure and ensuring the safety and security of the region,” the statement said.
Post Operation Sindoor in which the Indian Armed Forces hit terror bases followed by military installations deep inside Pakistan and PoJK from the intervening night of May 7 and 8 to May 10 till Pakistan begged for ceasefire, a number of spies including Haryana’s Youtuber Jyoti Malhotra have been arrested by police for passing on information to Pakistan.
Raids were supervised by DIG SIA Rajeshwar Singh and SSP SIA Jammu Yougal Manhas.
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