Pakistan used unsuspecting customers to route funds to CRPF officer: Probe

Indian Express

5 hours ago

Days after the arrest of CRPF Assistant Sub-Inspector Moti Ram Jat for allegedly leaking sensitive information to Pakistani intelligence officials, Central intelligence agencies have uncovered a new layer to the espionage network — a covert funding mechanism that exploited ordinary Indian citizens.
According to investigators, Pakistani officials used an unusual modus operandi to send money to Jat: instead of transferring funds directly or through their Indian handlers, they instructed unrelated individuals — mostly unsuspecting customers in business transactions — to deposit money into Jat's account, under the impression that it was part of a legitimate commercial deal.
'These were unsuspecting individuals who either struck small business deals with someone or were asked by their clients to transfer money via QR codes for services like travel bookings or currency exchange. But the account details they were given actually belonged to Moti Ram Jat,' a source with a central intelligence agency told The Indian Express. 'They had no knowledge of who Jat was or what his real role was.'
This layering of transactions has made the financial trail harder to trace and added complexity to the investigation, the source said.
Jat was arrested last month by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Delhi for allegedly sharing classified information with Pakistani agents posing as TV journalists. He had been posted with a CRPF battalion in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, and was transferred to Delhi just five days before the April 22 terror attack in which 26 civilians were killed.
The probe has revealed that over the past two years, Jat allegedly sent multiple sensitive documents to his handlers in Pakistan in exchange for regular payments — Rs 3,500 per month and occasional lump sums of up to Rs 12,000 for high-value intelligence. The funds were deposited into his and his wife's bank accounts.
Following the money trail, the NIA found that deposits came from various states, including Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Assam and West Bengal. 'The pattern was clear — multiple transfers from unrelated bank accounts in different regions,' the source said.
This discovery prompted simultaneous searches by NIA teams at several locations, including a shop in Alipore, a travel agency in Khidderpore, and a hotel in Park Circus in Kolkata. In one case, the owner of a travel agency was summoned for questioning over suspicious transactions.
Earlier this month, the NIA confirmed the espionage links. 'The suspects had connections with Pakistani operatives, and acted as financial conduits for carrying out espionage activities in India. NIA teams have seized several electronic gadgets and sensitive financial documents, along with other incriminating materials during the searches,' the agency said in a statement. It added that several electronic devices and sensitive financial documents were seized and are being examined.
According to sources, Jat has claimed that he was initially contacted by a woman who posed as a journalist from a Chandigarh-based TV channel. After regular exchanges over phone and video calls, he began sharing documents with her. A few months later, a man — allegedly a Pakistani official — took over the conversation, continuing the ruse as a fellow journalist.
Payments reportedly began two to three months after initial contact and were transferred on the fourth day of every month. Investigators believe this indicates a structured and well-funded espionage operation, run from across the border but embedded within Indian financial systems using innocent intermediaries.
The NIA has briefed the Ministry of Home Affairs, the CRPF, and other central agencies about the evolving methods being used by Pakistani operatives to fund and mask their activities within India.