New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested an Indian national from Kachchh in Gujarat for allegedly acting as “an ISI Agent” and transferring money to operatives working for the Pakistani intelligence agency in India.
Rajakbhai Kumbhar, who was working as a supervisor at Mundra dockyard, was arrested Sunday, the NIA said in a statement.
According to an NIA officer who didn’t wish to be named, Kumbhar’s name cropped up during the interrogation of Mohammad Rashid, who was arrested from Lucknow by the local police in January for passing on sensitive information to Pakistan.
The case was then transferred to the NIA, which registered a case in this regard on 6 April this year.
“During investigation, it was revealed that Rashid was in contact with defense and ISI handlers of Pakistan and had visited Pakistan twice,” the officer said. “He had transmitted photographs of some sensitive and strategically important installations in India and also shared information about the movement of the armed forces with ISI handlers in Pakistan.”
Also read: I am Asim Bajwa, I brought pizza, digital army to Pakistan. But you call me Gen Papa Johnny
‘Kumbhar has Pakistan contacts, worked as a financier’
According to the NIA statement, Rajakbhai Kumbhar allegedly worked as a financier on behalf of the ISI and transferred money to operatives working for the Pakistani agency in India.
The agency said that Kumbhar paid an amount of Rs 5,000 through Paytm to an account under the name Rizwan and this was then handed over to Rashid.
“This amount was remitted to accused Rashid by Rajakbhai Kumbhar on the directions of ISI handlers in lieu of the information supplied by Rashid to ISI agents,” the officer said.
The ISI had engaged Kumbhar to pay money to its agents in India, the agency said.
According to a source in the NIA, the money reached Kumbhar from Pakistan through illegal means including hawala and he dispensed it to the ISI agents here in India via bank transfers, e-wallets, etc.
“ISI sent money to Kumbhar for its on-ground agents in India since they cannot directly send money to them. Kumbhar received the money from Pakistan and then distributed it to agents here in India. ISI uses this sort of layering for pushing in funds,” the source said.
‘Had visited Pakistan, used his wife’
Kumbhar came in touch with ISI agents on his two visits to Pakistan, the source said. His wife is a Pakistani national.
“His wife is from Pakistan. He also has more relatives there and often visited the country. It is during this time that the ISI approached him and asked him to work for them as a financier,” the source said.
“They told him that they would send him money through various means, and he would have to make sure that it reaches their agents in India. He would get a cut,” the source added.
Kumbhar even used his wife to carry out several transactions, the source said.
“Since she is a Pakistani national, he thought it would be safe for her to get the money from Pakistan to India. She was used for several such transactions and that is how money reached India, apart from other illegal means,” the source said.
“A search was conducted at the house of Kumbhar on 27 August and several incriminating documents were seized,” added the source.
Also read: Pakistan’s economy will be ruined due to inflation if put on FATF blacklist, says Imran Khan