Desk: Indian police have uncovered a suspected espionage network allegedly working for Pakistan after arresting six individuals from Ghaziabad who were reportedly collecting and sending videos of sensitive military installations to foreign contacts.
According to police officials, the suspects had recorded more than 50 videos of sensitive locations, including offices of the Indian Army, Border Security Force (BSF), and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Delhi. Investigators say the footage and location details were not only shared with contacts in Pakistan but were also transmitted to phone numbers based in the United Kingdom and Malaysia.
Authorities said the group was allegedly in contact with a handler based in Pakistan, whom they referred to as “Sardar.” Police claim the handler directed the suspects to record videos of specific locations and paid them up to ₹8,000 for each task.
During the investigation, police discovered that two solar-powered surveillance cameras had been secretly installed at locations in Delhi on the instructions of the alleged handler. One of the cameras has been recovered, while officials are still verifying the existence of the second device.
The six arrested suspects have been identified as Suhail Malik alias Romeo from Meerut’s Partapur area; Sane Iram alias Mehak from Gyanpar Sisauna village in Sambhal district; and Praveen, Raj Valmiki, Shiva Valmiki, and Ritik Gangwar from Bhovapur in Ghaziabad.
Police said Suhail played a key role in managing the group’s activities and payments. Instead of transferring money directly through his own bank accounts or digital payment platforms, he allegedly used acquaintances’ accounts to route payments before reimbursing them in cash.
Investigators believe Raj Valmiki was responsible for installing a surveillance camera near Delhi Cantonment railway station and an Army cantonment area. The camera’s access was reportedly shared with a foreign contact. Police have recovered one camera, though officials have not yet publicly confirmed the exact installation sites.
The case began to unravel after suspicions arose about Raj Valmiki’s sudden financial changes. Locals noticed that he had shut down his food stall and purchased an iPhone, prompting discussions among nearby vendors. When police later learned about suspicious video recordings by Raj and his associates, he was taken into custody for questioning.
Initially, Raj allegedly tried to mislead investigators, but further interrogation led to the arrest of the remaining members of the network.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Abhishek Srivastava from Indirapuram stated that the investigation is ongoing. Authorities have begun the process of freezing the suspects’ bank accounts and are tracing all accounts through which funds were transferred. Police are also seeking custody of the accused for further interrogation as they attempt to uncover the full extent of the suspected espionage network.