CHANDIGARH: With the arrest of two more individuals for alleged espionage activities linked to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the total number of arrests made by the Punjab Police in such cases has risen to 12. Among the latest arrests are an Indian Army personnel and his associate, both suspected of passing sensitive military information to ISI handlers.
Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav stated that the accused have been identified as Gurpreet Singh alias Gopy Foji, a resident of Dhariwal in Amritsar currently serving in the Indian Army and posted in Jammu and his associate Sahil Masih alias Shali, also from Dhariwal.
According to the preliminary investigation, Gurpreet Singh was in direct contact with operatives of Pakistan's ISI and allegedly shared classified information using pen drives and discs. The ISI handler involved in the case has been identified as Rana Javed. Two mobile phones containing virtual numbers, reportedly used to communicate with ISI operatives, have been recovered from the possession of the accused. Investigations are ongoing to dismantle the broader espionage-terror network and identify all collaborators.
Senior Superintendent of Police (Amritsar Rural), Maninder Singh, revealed that Gurpreet Singh joined the Army in 2016 and misused his position to collect and transmit sensitive military data. He was introduced to ISI operatives by Arjan, a Dubai-based drug trafficker originally from Dhariwal, about five months ago. Gurpreet reportedly relayed classified information using pre-arranged drop locations. In return, he received monetary compensation routed through a network of friends, relatives, and foreign associates to avoid detection.
Police teams apprehended Gurpreet and Sahil while they were allegedly attempting another handover of sensitive data. A case has been registered under Sections 3, 5, and 9 of the Official Secrets Act and Section 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Police Station Lopoke in Amritsar Rural.
This arrest follows a string of similar cases in recent weeks. On June 3, Gagandeep Singh from Mohalla Roudpur, Tarn Taran, was arrested, followed by Jasbir Singh alias Jaan Mahal from Mahlan village in Ropar on June 4. Jasbir was allegedly a close aide of Haryana-based YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, who was previously arrested by the Haryana Police.
Earlier, on May 11, Punjab Police apprehended 31-year-old Guzala and her associate Yameen Mohammad from Malerkotla for allegedly assisting a Pakistani official posted at the High Commission in Delhi. Police stated that both individuals were part of a broader espionage network operating in the region.
On May 22, Neeraj Kumar, a 28-year-old salesman from Pathankot, was arrested for issuing SIM cards to unauthorised individuals using fraudulent documentation. The following day, May 13, Raqeeb Khan from Roorkee, Uttarakhand who had worked as a tailor inside Bathinda Cantonment for two years was arrested for allegedly spying for Pakistan.
Raqeeb was the second civilian from the cantonment area to be implicated, the first being Sunil Kumar, a cobbler from Samastipur, Bihar, arrested on April 29. Sunil had worked at the Bathinda Cantonment since 2017 and resided in Dhobiana Basti for over a decade. His family members are also cobblers in the area.
Additionally, on May 3, Palak Sher Masih and Suraj Masih were arrested in Amritsar for allegedly photographing and transmitting sensitive information regarding army cantonments and airbases.
Sources confirmed that all arrested individuals were allegedly in regular contact with ISI handlers and passed on sensitive intelligence, including details of troop movements and key strategic locations across Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir.
