In Pakistani ISI's India Operations, A West Asia-Nepal Spying Route

A Pakistani espionage network operating across West Asia, Nepal, and India has been exposed following the arrest of a Nepali national by Indian agencies earlier this year. The network, run by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), used non-traditional routes and operatives to gather sensitive military intelligence from within India.

The accused, Ansarul Miya Ansari, a Nepali citizen originally from Rautahat district, was arrested by the Special Cell of Delhi Police on the night of February 14. His arrest marked a critical breakthrough in what security agencies describe as a non-conventional intelligence operation orchestrated by ISI across multiple regions.

The Delhi Trap

A trap was laid near Vishwas Nagar in East Delhi, around 10 PM. Ansari was intercepted while attempting to deliver a package. At the time of his arrest, authorities recovered a laptop and printer, several confidential Army documents, a copy of the Army training brochure titled "Fighting in Built-Up Areas - 1982", and deployment manuals and materials marked 'SECRET' and 'CONFIDENTIAL'.

One highly sensitive item, a compact disc (CD), believed to contain classified military data, was found to have been destroyed and flushed down the toilet just before the arrest. Police suspect Ansari deliberately destroyed the CD to prevent arrest.

A Long-Term Asset

Initial interrogation suggests Ansari had been working for ISI since 2008. According to his confession, he was in regular contact with a Pakistani handler identified only as "Yasir", who directed his activities via WhatsApp messages and voice calls.

Ansari revealed that he regularly entered India through Nepal, often bypassing checkposts using forged or dual-identification documents. Once inside Indian territory, he made contact with intermediaries who provided intelligence either through hard copies or digital media.

Supporting Operatives

At least two more individuals are believed to be part of this spy chain.  "Pintu", described as a Delhi-based courier, allegedly delivered a CD containing sensitive content to Ansari near Delhi's ISBT. Fearing arrest, Ansari claimed to have destroyed this CD before he could be arrested.

Akhlaq Azam, a resident of Jharkhand's Ranchi, is also under investigation for suspected support activities, including providing cover and logistical assistance to Ansari during his visits to India. Azam has been interrogated by intelligence units, and his mobile phone was seized for forensics. Call logs and WhatsApp data showed frequent communication with Pakistani numbers and references to unnamed foreign handlers.

Evidence Trail and Military Involvement

Forensic experts analysing Ansari's mobile phone have recovered WhatsApp chats with Pakistan-based numbers, call records spanning West Asia, Nepal, and northern India, and military deployment patterns and strategic mapping data.

The material was forwarded to the Directorate General of Military Intelligence (DGMI) for assessment. While authorities remain tight-lipped about the exact nature of the intelligence leak, sources say some documents related to troop movements and urban warfare strategy have been leaked. 

Pakistan's Tactics

According to intelligence sources, there has been a shift in ISI's spy strategy. Pakistan, which traditionally operated by carrying out espionage operations through cross-border infiltrators, is now recruiting foreign nationals, especially from Nepal and West Asian countries, who can move freely across borders with low visibility. 

Ansari's arrest is not an isolated event. Over the past few weeks, intelligence agencies have detained at least 15 individuals across India suspected of passing sensitive military and civil infrastructure data to Pakistani handlers. Arrests and detentions have been reported from Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Punjab.