ISLAMABAD: In a startling development highlighting the evolving tactics ofcross-border espionage, Punjab Police have claimed to apprehend a15-year-old boy from Jammu’s Samba district in Pathankot for allegedlytransmitting sensitive defence information to handlers linked to Pakistan’sagency and terror networks. The juvenile, whose identity remains protected,was reportedly in contact with these elements for nearly a year, raisingalarms about the vulnerability of young individuals to online manipulation.
Senior Superintendent of Police Pathankot Daljinder Singh Dhillon revealedthat intelligence inputs led to the detention, with the minor’s mobilephone containing contacts of anti-national elements in Pakistan along withphotographs and videos of strategic Indian Army installations. The boy hadbeen roaming sensitive areas in Punjab’s Madhopur region, capturing detailsof military movements that could compromise national security if relayedacross the border.
Investigations disclosed that Pakistani operatives exploited the teenager’semotional state, as he harboured unfounded suspicions about his father’sdeath, making him susceptible to grooming via social media platforms. Thehandlers allegedly cloned his device remotely, enabling direct access tolive feeds and stored data, a sophisticated method underscoring thetechnical prowess employed in such operations.
In a parallel incident reported within 24 hours, Haryana Police arrested acontractor from Ambala for leaking details about an Indian Air Forcestation to a Pakistani contact masquerading as a woman online. The accused,engaged in repair work at the base since 2020, shared locations, photos,and videos over seven months, illustrating a pattern of honey-trappingvulnerable individuals with access to defence sites.
Police sources indicate that over the past seven months, at least 17persons have been arrested across northern India on charges of espionagefor Pakistan, with many aged between 20 and 35 years. The Pathankot casemarks the youngest detainee, prompting authorities to issue statewidealerts in Punjab to identify and counsel other minors potentially ensnaredin similar digital traps.
This surge follows heightened tensions, including references to arrestsafter India’s Operation Sindoor in May 2025, when over a dozen individualswere detained for alleged spying activities. Security agencies now suspecta deliberate strategy by hostile elements to target impressionable youth,exploiting smartphones and social networks to bypass traditionalintelligence barriers.
The Pathankot SSP emphasised ongoing interrogations under the OfficialSecrets Act, with the juvenile presented before a court and placed in aobservation home. Efforts are underway to map the broader network,including potential links to narco-gangsters and terror modules operatingfrom Pakistan.
Authorities have urged parents and schools to monitor online activitiesclosely, implementing parental controls and watching for behaviouralchanges. Counselling initiatives are planned for at-risk youth in borderareas to prevent exploitation.
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As probes deepen into digital trails and financial transactions, the casesexpose critical gaps in cybersecurity awareness among civilians nearstrategic locations. With suspicions of additional minors undersurveillance, the incidents signal an escalating threat to internalsecurity through unconventional recruitment methods.
The arrests underscore the need for enhanced counter-intelligence measures,including community awareness programmes, to safeguard national interestsagainst such insidious infiltration attempts.
Source:https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/fell-into-trap-of-pakistan-15-year-old-shares-security-info-with-isi-terror-networks-arrested-in-pathankot/articleshow/126365159.cms
Tags: Punjab Police, Pathankot, ISI, Espionage, Jammu Kashmir, OfficialSecrets Act, Social Media
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