Lahore woman recruiting Indian visa seekers for ISI espionage and propaganda: Intel
New Delhi: Investigators probing the recent cases of espionage have identified a Lahore-based woman with ties to the Pakistani Army and intelligence agency ISI. She used to trap visa seekers and get them to work for ISI, sources claimed.
Naushaba Masood, who runs a travel agency in Pakistan, facilitated visas for those who 'cooperated' and supplied them with SIM cards to begin with.
The return favours included a range of tasks, beginning with shooting pro-Pakistan videos and uploading them on YouTube to create a favourable narrative. This was a calculated move by ISI to expand its influence through a dual strategy of intelligence gathering and propaganda dissemination.
Some of the arrested suspects had Masood's Pakistani number (+92321044****) saved in their phones under the moniker Madam N. Masood worked with her husband, a retired civil service officer, to set up a network of spies in India, sources said. Investigation revealed that she coordinated with Suhail Qamar, first secretary (visa), and Umar Sheryar, counsellor (trade), besides ISI operative Danish alias Ehsan-ur-Rehman.
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Masood figured in the interrogation of several suspects and had the reputation of being able to provide a Pak visa 'with a single phone call'. "She lured social media influencers and YouTubers to Pakistan by offering them a free trip, and once they arrived, she would introduce them to Pakistani Army and ISI officials. She specifically targeted individuals from the Hindu and Sikh communities," said a source.
The investigation also revealed that in the last six months, Masood facilitated the entry of around 2,500 Indians to Pakistan.
"The accused disclosed that she was in direct contact with the seniors at the Pakistani high commission in Delhi and could get visas approved instantly by calling the officials in charge of visa-related matters," said an investigator.
The investigator added, "It has been discovered that Masood also handled tours for Sikh and Hindu pilgrims to Pakistan. After charging excessive amounts from the pilgrims, she utilised the additional funds for promoting Pakistan's interests and supporting ISI activities.
Masood had agents stationed in several Indian cities, including Delhi, who promoted her travel agency through social media and other means.
These agents were used to lure new individuals into her network."
Several Pakistani bank accounts have also been traced and these were used to transfer funds from India. The transactions and money trail are being probed. Multiple suspects, including those arrested by Delhi Police's Special Cell recently, confessed that they provided their handlers Indian SIMs and the OTPs to activate WhatsApp in exchange for visas and money. This enabled the Pakistani handlers to operate WhatsApp and other encrypted messaging platforms from Indian SIM cards, masking their real identities.
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