Ghaziabad (UP), March 25 Police have arrested three more alleged members of a Pakistan-linked espionage network that was sending sensitive information to the neighboring country, bringing the total number of arrests in the case to 21, an official said.
The accused include Sameer alias Shooter, a native of Bihar's Bhagalpur and currently residing in Delhi, who is said to be a key member of the alleged network.
The other two arrested are Sameer of the Shamli district and Shivraj from Shahjahanpur, currently residing in Ghaziabad, police said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Trans Hindon) Dhawal Jasiwal said that the National Investigation Agency has interrogated the accused.
"So far, 21 people have been arrested, including six minors. The Ghaziabad police have filed a charge sheet in the district court," he said.
On Sunday, Meera Thakur (28), a resident of Mathura district, and Naushad Ali (20), a resident of Faridabad district of Haryana and hailing from Bihar's Muzaffarpur, were arrested. The third suspect apprehended was a minor.
Ali is alleged to have conducted reconnaissance of security and police installations and railway stations in Delhi and other states and was forwarding photos and videos.
"The gang involved in espionage was sending secret information to a man named Sardar alias Zoravar Singh, who was operating the spying network from Pakistan," Additional Commissioner of Police Raj Karan Nayyar had said on Monday.
The arrested individuals have been identified as: Suhel Malik alias Romeo, Sane Iram alias Mehak, Praveen, Raj Valmiki, Shiva Valmiki, Ritik Gangwar, Ganesh, Vivek, Gagan Kumar Prajapati, Durgesh Nishad, Naushad Ali and Meera, the police said.
The espionage network was busted on March 13. Meera and Suhail were associates for many years. During interrogation, she revealed that she met Suhail through Facebook, after which she joined the group, they said.
According to Nayyar, Meera was arrested by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police in 2025 on charges of arms smuggling. She also claimed that she was an informant for the Mumbai Police.
Naushad Ali told the police that he connected with the other accused via various social media platforms and was directly in touch with Sardar in Pakistan.
"He confessed that he conducted reconnaissance of security and police installations and railway stations in Delhi and other states and was forwarding photos and videos," the officer said.
The gang was allegedly operated in India by Suhail alias Romeo, a resident of Nargadhi Nawada in Bijnor district of Uttar Pradesh, the police said.
"He had recruited other members of the gang. He was paying Rs 5,000 for each piece of information. He was receiving funds from Pakistan via Punjab through the accounts of money transfer centres and shopkeepers, so that nobody could doubt the money transactions," Nayyar said.
The detained minor had allegedly installed solar-operated CCTV cameras at Delhi Cantonment railway station, the police said.
"The gang was instructed to recruit less educated Hindu minor boys to evade suspicion," Additional CP Nayyar had said.