(Image source from: Freepik.com)
The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) apprehended a man on Sunday who had been evading authorities in connection with a case involving espionage on behalf of Pakistan. Mohammed Saqlain, a resident of Jamnagar in Gujarat, was engaged in espionage activities at the behest of Pakistan. According to the allegations against him, Saqlain purchased an Indian SIM card and activated his WhatsApp, which was being controlled by his Pakistani handlers. This number was used to spy on Indian Army personnel stationed in Jammu and Kashmir, with confidential information being leaked to Pakistani operatives. In October 2023, the Gujarat ATS arrested Labhsankar Maheswari, a 53-year-old espionage agent from Tarapur, Gujarat, based on specific information provided by Military Intelligence.
Sources indicate that Saqlain had provided an activated SIM card to Labhsankar Maheshwari, a former Pakistani citizen who obtained Indian citizenship. Maheshwari was arrested by the ATS in October 2023 after Military Intelligence received a tip-off about a Pakistani intelligence agency targeting Indian military personnel through WhatsApp by sending spyware. This case attracted attention because Maheshwari, who was originally from Pakistan, had come to Gujarat for his wife's pregnancy treatment and ended up becoming an Indian citizen. However, he was subsequently detained for engaging in spying activities. Following Maheshwari's arrest in October 2023, Saqlain went into hiding.
Last July, the conspiracy was exposed when Military Intelligence officials uncovered a deceitful operation by a Pakistani Intelligence Operative (PIO). This operative utilized the WhatsApp number- 90xxxx6792 to exploit the Android mobile devices of active defense personnel, particularly those with children attending various Army Public Schools (APS) nationwide. The PIO would entice these individuals to install harmful Android applications (".apk" files) disguised as a campaign called "Har Ghar Tiranga" just prior to Independence Day last year.
