Ghaziabad (UP), March 23 Police have apprehended three more alleged members of a major Pakistan-linked espionage racket, including a minor and a woman, for allegedly sending sensitive information to the neighboring country through parcels via Dubai and WhatsApp, a police official said on Monday.
So far, 18 individuals, including six minors, have been arrested in connection with the sensational case.
Meera Thakur (28), a resident of Mathura district, and Naushad Ali (20), a resident of Faridabad district of Haryana and originally from Muzaffarpur district of Bihar, were arrested on Sunday. The third suspect is 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 racket from Pakistan," Additional Commissioner of Police Raj Karan Nayyar said.
The arrested individuals are: 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 racket was busted on March 13. Meera and Suhail were associates for many years. During interrogation, she told the police 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 on charges of arms smuggling in 2025. Meera 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 is alleged to have installed solar-operated CCTV cameras at Delhi Cantonment Railway Station, the police said.
"The gang was instructed to recruit less educated Hindu minor boys in order to evade suspicion," Additional CP Nayyar said.
