In a counter-intelligence development in West Bengal, a suspected espionage network with alleged cross-border links to Pakistan has been uncovered in Pingla, West Medinipur district, following earlier arrests in Kolkata.
According to officials, the Special Task Force (STF) of the West Bengal Police conducted a late-night raid in Pingla, arresting two youths—identified as Murselin and Gautam Khara—from Khirai village. The duo has been accused of supplying WhatsApp One-Time Passwords (OTPs) generated from Indian SIM cards to operatives linked to Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Investigators allege that Indian SIM cards were being procured in bulk through a local shop using forged documents. These SIMs were then used to create WhatsApp accounts, which were allegedly accessed by foreign handlers to maintain contact with local informants. For each OTP supplied, the accused were reportedly paid between Rs 2,000 and Rs 2,500.
District Superintendent of Police Papiya Sultana said that the district police were not informed in advance about the STF operation, saying they had no prior knowledge of the raid or its details.
Preliminary findings suggest that Murselin, one of the arrested accused, had traveled to Thailand and Cambodia and allegedly established contact with ISI-linked operatives through social media platforms. He is believed to have expanded the network over time, supplying OTPs in exchange for money.
The STF also uncovered that thousands of SIM cards were being issued monthly from a single vendor in Pingla, raising concerns over identity verification lapses and document fraud. Officials confirmed that the SIM cards were being actively used to register WhatsApp accounts tied to the suspected network.
The accused are now under investigation for espionage and potential violations under multiple sections of the law. Authorities are also probing the scale of the network, possible involvement of additional operatives, and the nature of intelligence allegedly shared.
This development comes just days after the National Investigation Agency arrested an individual in Kolkata on similar charges of passing sensitive security-related information to Pakistani intelligence officers in exchange for money and alleged incentives, including foreign citizenship.
Security agencies continue to investigate whether these incidents are part of a broader coordinated intelligence network operating across the region. Suggest headlines.
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