In the backdrop of two terror suspects getting arrested from West Bengal's Malda district, two people have been arrested from Murshidabad district on charges of spying for Pakistan. The Special Task Force (STF) of the state police has arrested both the accused and recovered several mobile phones and SIM cards from them.
Acting on specific information, the STF arrested Juhab Shaikh from the Gudhia area on February 10 and recovered one mobile phone from his possession.
During sustained interrogation and preliminary investigation, it was revealed that he, along with his associate Suman Shaikh, had been sharing OTPs through WhatsApp in exchange for monetary consideration, which were used in illegal activities.
A specific case has been registered, and Juhab was taken into custody for investigation.
The co-accused, Suman, was arrested on Sunday, produced before a court and remanded to police custody for further investigation.
Police said both the accused are SIM card sellers and allegedly smuggled OTPs of Indian SIM cards to Pakistan. The WhatsApp accounts of those who use those SIMs in India are controlled from Pakistan.
"My son had recently been working as a steel furniture maker. He was not involved in any other work. Suman is being framed on false charges," said Suman's mother, Menaka Bibi.
Police are continuing their investigation to find out the extent of their illegal activities and if more people were involved in the operation.
