New Delhi: In 2022, when Md Sahil, then an assistant to a lawyer, met Sameera, a call center employee, he found not just a partner for life, but also a partner in crime.
The couple—Sahil now 25 and Sameera 21—are now at the centre of an ISI-backed espionage module that allegedly helped Pakistani intelligence operatives (PIOs) procure Indian SIM cards and use them to infiltrate unofficial WhatsApp groups of Army officers to extract sensitive information about them and cantonments.
A Delhi Police official said the duo were hired by ISI-backed agents to procure Indian sim cards and conduct recces of Army cantonments. According to the officer, the two were also told to identify Army officials whose court martial proceedings were pending.
The official said that over the past four months it was noticed that two new Indian numbers joined several unofficial Whatsapp groups of officers based in Delhi cantonment.
“The two new Indian numbers first began observing all communications on the groups and then began texting Army officials,” said the official, adding the striking similarity in the messages they sent raised alarm bells.
On growing suspicions, the Army officials alerted intelligence officials.
When the police investigated, theytraced the SIM cards back to Sahil and Sameera. The Delhi Police’s Special Cell arrested the duo on Thursday from their residence in Nizamuddin, DCP Narra Chaitanya said.
On further interrogation of the two, the police learnt that they met through an ISI agent first in 2022. “Sameera came in touch with an ISI agent over Instagram and he promised her a good pay in exchange of small tasks—a photograph, a recce of a location and the likes,” said the official.
The first agent then got her in touch with a second one who in turn introduced Sameera to Sahil.
“Sahil and Sameera eventually got married and began working as a team,” the DCP said. “Gradually, the PIO (Pakistan intelligence operative) cultivated Sahil & Sameera and convinced them to work for the PIO network against which they were assured financial gains.”
“Sahil and Sameera were asked to extend logistic support to the Pakistani ISI-backed network while being in Delhi and recruit more individuals for espionage and field operations,” he added.
Subsequently, Sahil and Sameera were asked to send eight Indian SIM cards between 2024-25 in exchange of Rs. 30,000. “The SIM cards were sent to Pakistan via Dubai,” the DCP said.
As per a police source, the numbers’ locations were traced to Pakistan. “We learnt that the Pakistani users came to an area near the Indian western border and used the Indian signals to activate the SIMs, they then went back to their country,” the officer said.
The Pakistani agents subsequently got added to the unofficial Army cantonments groups. “WhatsApp accounts were activated on these numbers in Pakistan and PIOs succeeded in entering some Indian WhatsApp groups for gathering information. These WhatsApp accounts were used by PIOs to approach Indians to collect sensitive information,” the DCP said.
As per sources, the Pakistani agents put on the identity of Army officials from a different cantonment and got themselves added to these groups. “They remained in these groups for close to four months,” the officer said.
Meanwhile, the agents directed Sahil to do multiple recces of the Cantonment areas and “recruit more individuals” for similar work.
Subsequently, he was asked to visit tribunals to identify the Army personnel whose court martial proceedings were ongoing, the officer said. “He was made in charge to identify these Army officials and their lawyers and establish contact,” the officer added.
According to police, Sahil is a BA graduate from the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and grew up in Delhi’s Dhaula Kuan. Sameera, a BA graduate, grew up in Noida.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)