One held from Pathankot over allegedly spying for Pakistani handlers

During questioning, the accused confessed that he had installed an internet-based CCTV camera at a shop on the Pathankot-Jammu highway in January.
Image used for representational purposes only.
Image used for representational purposes only. File photo| EPS
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CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Police has arrested a Pathankot resident, Baljit Singh, on charges of spying for Pakistan-based handlers. The police suspect he was transmitting live feed of troop movement on the highway corridor connecting Punjab to Jammu and Kashmir to handlers in Pakistan.

Sources said, as per the preliminary investigation, Singh, a resident of Chakk Dhariwal village, had installed a CCTV camera at a shop located near a bridge on NH 44 to allegedly keep an eye on the movement of the army and paramilitary forces and was transmitting the live feed to Pakistan-based handlers.

During questioning, the accused confessed that he had installed an internet-based CCTV camera at a shop on the Pathankot-Jammu highway in January. The police said he was also receiving directions from an unidentified person based in Dubai and had been paid `40,000. The CCTV camera was recovered from his possession.

Last month, police had busted two ISI-backed espionage modules, which used China-made solar-powered CCTV cameras to transmit live feeds of military locations to Pakistan-based handlers. Earlier, a CCTV camera mounted atop a pole in Kapurthala turned out to be part of an ISI-controlled spy network.

2 modules busted last month

Last month, police had busted two ISI-backed espionage modules, which used high-tech, China-made solar-powered CCTV cameras to transmit live feeds of military locations to Pakistan-based handlers. Earlier, a CCTV camera mounted atop a pole in Kapurthala in Pujab turned out to be part of an ISI-controlled spy network.

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