New Delhi, March 13 – The ISI is engaging India in an unconventional battle, using social media to extract sensitive information.
Setting up modules to lure officials is not new; Indian agencies have learned that the ISI is operating at full capacity this time.
Pakistan has attempted to obtain sensitive information on several occasions. However, this time, the primary focus has been on acquiring information about India's defense sector.
An official from the Intelligence Bureau stated that the pattern they have observed is that the ISI is not targeting low-ranking army personnel. The official added that the ISI is aiming to target high-ranking officials because they have access to very sensitive information.
Recent cases have shown that Pakistan has been trying to obtain information related to future defense procurements, drone technology, and sensitive communications between top-ranking officials and defense ministry personnel.
Another official stated that the ISI does not want to continue running this module from Pakistan. They plan to set up centers within India. Individuals in India have been instructed to recruit women in Delhi, the Northeast, and Uttar Pradesh to participate in these modules.
In addition, the ISI wants to recruit numerous agents across the country. The idea is to have agents positioned in sensitive areas, with a primary focus on the defense sector, the official added.
Officials say that this plan has been in development since 2018. Modules have been set up in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. Members of these modules have been actively recruiting for a long time. However, these modules have slowed down operations due to multiple busts by Indian agencies.
While there was a lull for some time, Indian agencies have noticed significant activity in recent months. The agents that the ISI is trying to recruit are being offered substantial sums of money. Officials say that the budget allocated by the ISI for this operation is substantial. This is because they want to involve high-ranking personnel so that the information they try to obtain will be highly classified and of the highest level.
India's intelligence agencies remain on high alert, and all efforts are being made to ensure that this ambitious plan by the ISI does not succeed.