J&K Man Honeytrapped By Pak Woman Spy, Shared Military Pics, Arrested

A 23-year-old school dropout from Jammu and Kashmir has been arrested for allegedly spying for Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) after falling prey in a honeytrap.

Karan, a resident of Makwal village in Jammu region, was lured by a female ISI operative on Snapchat a few months ago, the police said. She posed as a Border Security Force (BSF) soldier posted in Punjab and gradually gained his trust through frequent chats and obscene video calls.

Once she was certain Karan was under her influence, she asked him for a WhatsApp one-time password (OTP) of a family member, claiming she had been transferred to the Sunderbani sector in Rajouri where mobile connectivity was poor.

Without suspecting anything, Karan shared his mother's OTP, giving the ISI handler access to the account.

The ISI operative then nudged him to send photos and videos of army bunkers, defence installations and flyovers near Jammu region. For the first batch of pictures, Karan allegedly received Rs 2,000 in his bank account. When she demanded more, Military Intelligence (MI) grew suspicious.

Sources said MI kept him under discreet surveillance. Once his espionage activities were confirmed, the army alerted the police in Jammu. A joint team then arrested Karan from Makwal.

Police have seized his mobile phone and are looking into his social media accounts and digital footprint. During interrogation, he reportedly confessed to sharing sensitive material. A case has been filed and further investigation is on.

This is not an isolated case. Recently, the police in Punjab's Pathankot arrested a man identified as Baljit Singh for allegedly installing a CCTV camera outside a shop in Sujanpur, facing the Jammu-Pathankot National Highway, to livestream the movement of army and paramilitary convoys for handlers across the border.

The police have cautioned people about honeytrap modules operating on social media.

"Do not share personal details, OTPs, or sensitive information with strangers online. Report suspicious profiles immediately," a senior officer said.