A UP Businessman arrested for allegedly spying for Pakistan, the police said. The accused, Shahzad, was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police’s Special Task Force (STF) from Moradabad following inputs around his alleged involvement in cross-border smuggling and espionage activities for Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). He was also giving sensitive information related to national security to his handlers, the STF said in a declaration.
UP Businessman arrested in Spying Case
Shahzad had travelled to Pakistan more than once over time and was allegedly smuggling cosmetics, garments, spices, and different items throughout the border, the agency said. His illegal exchange served as a cover for engaging in his covert operations for the ISI, the STF said.
The investigation also found that Shahzad used to offer money and Indian SIM cards to the ISI agents in India. The STF claimed he had extensively used to send people from the Rampur district and other parts of Uttar Pradesh to Pakistan to work for the ISI. “The visas of those people were managed by the ISI marketers,” the company said.
YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra Detained
The news of UP Businessman arrested comes days after a Haryana-based YouTuber was arrested on charges of passing on sensitive records to Pakistani intelligence operatives.
Jyoti Malhotra, who runs a YouTube channel known as ‘Travel with JO’ and has over 3 lakh subscribers, was allegedly in touch with a Pakistani staffer working at the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi. She also uploaded a few videos from her visit to Pakistan — ‘Indian Girl in Pakistan’, ‘Indian Girl Exploring Lahore’, ‘Indian Girl at Katas Raj Temple’ and ‘Indian Girl Rides Luxury Bus in Pakistan’ on her YouTube channel. These arrests come amid tensions between India and Pakistan following the fear attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that left 26 people dead.
Read also: Haryana YouTuber, Jyoti Malhotra arrested for spying for Pakistan