In a major counter-espionage operation, the Northern Range of the Delhi Police Special Cell has dismantled a Pakistan-backed espionage network operating in the Delhi-NCR region. Authorities arrested a married couple identified as Mohammad Sahil and his wife Sameera. According to law enforcement officials, the pair had been in direct communication with Pakistani Intelligence Officers (PIOs) since 2024, utilizing social media platforms to execute instructions provided by their handlers across the border.
Recruitment Through Instagram and Handling by PIOs
Investigators revealed that Mohammad Sahil first came into contact with a Pakistani operative on Instagram in 2024 through Sameera, who was his friend at the time. The couple subsequently got married. Following their initial online interactions, the foreign operative facilitated connections between the couple and Pakistan-based PIOs. The handlers gradually enticed the duo with promises of financial compensation, recruiting them to undertake operational tasks inside India.
Routing Indian SIM Cards to Pakistan via Dubai
During financial and technical investigations covering 2024 and 2025, police established that Sahil and Sameera procured 8 Indian SIM cards and successfully dispatched them to Pakistan using Dubai as a transit hub. In return for supplying these active SIM cards, the couple received approximately Rs 30,000 from their Pakistani handlers. Sameera played a critical role in sourcing the local SIM cards and arranging their delivery logistics to ensure they reached the intelligence handlers abroad.
Exploitation of WhatsApp Groups and Cantonment Reconnaissance
The 8 Indian SIM cards sent to Pakistan were used by ISI handlers to register and activate WhatsApp accounts. Operating these accounts under Indian phone numbers enabled the Pakistani agents to gain unauthorized access to various sensitive Indian WhatsApp groups, attempting to extract confidential information. In addition to the SIM operation, handlers assigned Sahil the task of recruiting local individuals across different states to perform reconnaissance (recce) of military cantonment areas.
Forensic Analysis of Seized Mobile Devices
Special Cell officers initially apprehended Mohammad Sahil and seized his mobile phone. Forensic analysis of the device uncovered extensive communication records, including suspicious chat logs and voice messages exchanged with Pakistani handlers. Information obtained during Sahil's interrogation led investigators directly to Sameera. Examination of her mobile phone corroborated the findings, revealing direct chat threads linking Sahil, Sameera, and their Pakistan-based controllers. Both mobile phones remain under detailed digital analysis as investigators trace secondary links in the SIM supply chain.
Wider Crackdown on ISI-Backed Modules
This arrest forms part of an intensified campaign against foreign intelligence operations. Prior to this operation, the Special Cell dismantled an interstate terror and arms smuggling module sponsored by the ISI, apprehending 4 operatives who were acting on directives from Pakistan-based handler Shahzad Bhatti to carry out attacks in Delhi. Home Minister Amit Shah subsequently confirmed that nationwide raids across 14 states led to the detention of over 200 operatives associated with the Shahzad Bhatti network. Meanwhile, scrutiny over Pakistan's military expenditure has gained international traction, with US President Donald Trump demanding accountability regarding Pakistan's secret budget and the exact funds allocated to its army and ISI.
