Latest news with #Inter-ServicesIntelligence
India.com
2 days ago
- Politics
- India.com
From OGWs to UAVs: Kashmir Under Watch As Drones Replace Terror Operatives In Pakistan, ISI's New Game Plan
A recent intelligence report has revealed that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has significantly altered its tactics in Jammu and Kashmir, replacing traditional Overground Workers (OGWs) with advanced drone-based operations to support terrorism. This shift is seen as a direct response to the Indian security forces' sustained crackdown on the human terror network since 2020. OGWs Replaced By Drones The arrest of nearly 1,000 OGWs by Indian forces in Jammu and Kashmir since 2020 has severely weakened Pakistan's human intelligence and logistics network in the region. In response, ISI and terror outfits such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) have adopted drone technology to conduct surveillance, smuggle weapons, and support infiltration. OGW Tasks Reduced Traditionally, OGWs were responsible for surveillance, smuggling arms, and local coordination. Now, drones equipped with high-resolution cameras and night vision handle up to 80% of these tasks, significantly reducing the need for human handlers. OGWs have been relegated to limited roles, mainly in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Weapon Drops Drones like DJI Mavic 3, Phantom 4, and modified Chinese Wing Loong II have been deployed to monitor Indian border posts in Rajouri, Poonch, Kishtwar, and Kupwara. They stream live video to handlers in PoK. Armed drones carrying 5–20 kg payloads frequently drop AK-47s, grenades, IEDs, and narcotics across the border. Between 2023 and 2025, over 200 such consignments were intercepted in Punjab and Jammu. Infiltration & Reconnaissance Drones are now being used to guide small terror groups (3–5 operatives) to safely cross the Line of Control (LoC) by avoiding Indian Army patrols using GPS and real-time imaging. Intelligence inputs confirm drone use in mapping high-altitude infiltration routes, including during an ISI meeting in Muzaffarabad in May 2025. PoK-Based Workshops The drones used include modified commercial models costing $1,000–2,000 with extended-range batteries and encrypted communication, as well as military-grade UAVs like the Wing Loong II (range: 1,500 km) and possibly Bayraktar TB2s. Intelligence suggests Pakistan-based workshops, supported by ISI, are producing 3D-printed drones costing $500–1,500, used for smuggling and surveillance. Over 1,000 drone flights were recorded along the international border and LoC in 2024–2025 alone. Challenges Remain In 2024, Punjab Police and BSF intercepted 75 drones, recovering 150 kg of heroin, 50 AK-47s, and 200 grenades. In June 2025, a drone carrying 5 kg of RDX was intercepted in Rajouri. India has since deployed an anti-drone system using radar, RF jammers, and lasers, with around 70% effectiveness. However, drones flying under 100 meters or using thermal cloaking reduce detection rates by up to 40%. Infiltration Surge According to intelligence, drone-supported infiltration has increased by 20% in 2025, with 50–60 terrorists entering Jammu and Kashmir. These drones enable terrorists to operate in remote areas like Pir Panjal and Shamsabari forests for weeks without support, as seen in recent encounters in Kishtwar and Rajouri. Terrorists are being trained in drone operations in PoK-based camps in Kotli and Rawalkot, with parts reportedly sourced from China. Despite mounting evidence, Pakistan continues to deny involvement, blaming 'non-state actors' for drone-based activities. Strategic Implications Experts warn that drones have become a cost-effective, low-risk alternative to human operatives. The rugged terrain, forest cover, and altitude advantages of the region give drones an upper hand, making it harder for security forces to intercept every flight. With over 20 drone launch sites near the LoC in PoK, the threat is evolving into a persistent, high-tech security challenge for India.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
2 days ago
- First Post
Who is Opinder Singh, Indian-Canadian gangster linked to ISI, Hezbollah, Sinaloa cartel, and China?
Authorities in the US have arrested Indian-Canadian gangster Opinder Singh Sian for running an international drug ring with alleged links to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). He reportedly smuggled Chinese fentanyl into the US. Here's what we know about him read more The 29-page memo filed by the DEA in federal court said investigations had been carried out in Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Australia, Hong Kong, Dubai and Tukey. AP The United States has long complained about Chinese-made fentanyl being smuggled into the country. Now, authorities in the US have busted a fentanyl drug ring with links to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and arrested an Indian-Canadian gangster. The gangster, identified as Opinder Singh Sian, was arrested in Nevada last month. Sian, 37, has links to a notorious Irish drug gang. But who is Sian? And what happened? Let's take a closer look STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Who is Sian? Sian is a major player in the international fentanyl smuggling ring. Sian, is said to have links to the Brothers Keeper gang. The group is said to traffic cocaine, MDMA, heroin, fentanyl and methamphetamine. It has also been accused of arms trafficking, murder, extortion and armed robbery. This gang, which is backed by the ISI, has many operatives in India. Indian officials told News18 Sian was a crucial go-between for the ISI and criminals in China. These groups make use of Canada's 'permissive legal and political environment' to traffic synthetic opioids, they added. The BK gang is said to be supportive of the pro-Khalistani movement. It also has ties to the Hells Angels and the Wolfpack gang — both of which are well-known around the world. Opinder Singh Sian is said to be a major player in the international fentanyl smuggling ring. Image courtesy: X Sian is based in Canada's Vancouver and is extremely well-known in the city's organised crime circles. He goes by several aliases including Opie, Thanos and Cain. Sian in 2007 was convicted for careless use of a firearm and obstruction of a peace officer. His rise in the Canadian criminal underworld began in 2008. This came after he survived a shooting that left his friend Gurpreet Sidhu dead. However, Sian was left seriously injured in the aftermath of the incident. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Sian survived yet another shooting in 2011. For the next few years he was frequently stopped by the police in the company of other gangsters. Sian is said to have told a confidential informant that he has ties to 'Irish organised crime, specifically the Kinahan family, Italian organised crime and other Canadian organised crime groups.' The Kinahan gang is a notorious Irish outfit that originated in Dublin during the 1990s. However, it is now based in Dubai. The Kinahan gang has ties to Mexico's infamous Sinaloa Cartel as well as Iran and its proxy group Hezbollah. Sian a decade ago tried to get his purported wife into Canada but was denied by authorities, who ruled it a 'sham marriage'. So, what explains Sian's rise in the crime world? Mike Porteous, a retired Vancouver police superintendent, told Vancouver Sun that any gangster 'that has the attributes to actually be successful — intelligence, relationship-building, connections … they can rise'. 'Those kinds of people that build those relationships tend to rise within the hierarchy because they have the skill sets to do the bidding of making money in the drug world.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD What happened? Sian was arrested in Arizona last month by the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The agency has conducted a wide-ranging, years-long probe into Sian. The 29-page memo filed by the DEA in federal court said investigations had been done in Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Australia, Hong Kong, Dubai and Tukey. The probe into Sian began in 2022 after the DEA conducted a preliminary probe on the basis of a tip-off from Turkish intelligence. Prosecutors have accused Sian of being at the center of a vast conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and meth. Sian was involved in a conspiracy to import 'precursor chemicals from China and export narcotics through the port of Los Angeles to Australia', the DEA affidavit claimed. Sian is also alleged to have been purchasing the chemicals from China and selling them directly to the Mexican cartels. The DEA has claimed that Sian was backed by Turkish trafficker Ibrahim Ozcelik. 'Sian again stated that he worked with a known drug kingpin, based out of Turkey', the DEA source has claimed. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The documents revealed that Sian had set up a meeting between a US confidential informant known as 'Queen' and Peter Peng Zhou from a Chinese cartel in Vancouver in 2023. US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Zhou claimed he could get the chemicals from China and send them directly to Los Angeles. 'Vancouver is the centre of gravity for hybrid warfare for transnational organised crime in North America,' Scott McGregor, a former military intelligence operator, was quoted as saying by Global News. 'One of my colleagues in DC mentioned that it was a cross between Dubai and Miami.' Sian is said to have moved over 200 kilos of meth before being arrested by the DEA. A federal judge has ordered Sian to be held in custody pending his transfer to California. Sian is set to appear in court on July 21. While several persons of interest have been identified, no one has yet been charged. With inputs from agencies
NDTV
3 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
China, Pakistan, And The Trouble With Keeping Snakes In Your Backyard
India's Foreign Minister, S. Jaishankar, is in China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting and has used the important multilateral forum to highlight New Delhi's concerns on cross-border terrorism. Driving home the point subtly, Jaishankar has reminded Beijing that the SCO's raison d'être was combatting terrorism, separatism, and extremism, and that the "three evils" often occur together. The remarks were made in the context of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22 this year, in which 26 tourists were gunned down. The government's assessment of this dastardly terror attack has been that it was aimed at creating a chasm, given that the perpetrators singled out their victims on the basis of their religious identity. The objective of the Pakistan-sponsored terrorists was also to dent the economy of Jammu and Kashmir, which had been thriving on tourism since its return to normalcy. In the context of Jammu and Kashmir, the three-fold evils of terrorism, separatism, and extremism have indeed been reinforcing and compounding. The Munir Doctrine Pakistan mobilised terror groups in the Valley in the 1980s and pushed foreign fighters, which ultimately led to the killings of the local Hindu population and their subsequent exodus. The terror groups, whom Islamabad branded as 'freedom fighters', were seeking to carve out a separate state. Girding this approach is Pakistan's philosophy, that it was founded as a homeland of Muslims, and that Jammu & Kashmir is an unfinished agenda of the Partition of 1947. In fact, Pakistan's Field Marshal, Asim Munir, had openly publicised this viewpoint before the Pakistan Overseas Convention just before the Pahalgam terror attack, dusting off the "two-nation theory" in his address and referring to Kashmir as Pakistan's "jugular vein". Incidentally, also, when the 2019 Pulwama suicide bombing attack took place, in which around 40 Indian service personnel were martyred, Munir was heading the Inter-Services Intelligence. Jaishankar, Unfiltered In his address to the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers' Meeting, Jaishankar underscored that the UN Security Council had condemned the Pahalgam terror attack and called for the perpetrators, organisers, financiers, and sponsors of terrorism to be held accountable and brought to justice. The Foreign Minister has thus tried to contextualise India's actions, such as keeping the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance and striking terror training camps and military infrastructure in Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. Jaishankar also exhorted SCO members to stay on course with the grouping's founding goal - combatting 'terrorism, separatism, and extremism' - if the multilateral grouping really wishes to present an uncompromising stance on the challenge. This positioning throws a poser to China, which has its own worries about separatism and extremism and brings into question Beijing's duplicitous role. In his first visit to China since the military standoff, Jaishankar has underscored China's two-faced stand on terror. The Dragon's Steady Support In 2019, China joined hands with Pakistan to raise the Kashmir issue at the UN Security Council after India scrapped the erstwhile state's special status. While Beijing had floated the SCO ostensibly to fight terrorism, it has been instrumental in protecting the perpetrators of acts of terror committed on Indian territory. In the past, China has also blocked initiatives to place Jaish-e-Mohammad's Rauf Asghar and the Lashkar-e-Taiba's Sajid Mir and Abdur Rahman Makki on the UN sanctions list. China harbours Indian separatist leaders on its soil, and its state-backed publications threaten India with this supposed leverage. China's formal position on Operation Sindoor has been to describe India's action as 'regrettable', urging New Delhi and Islamabad to arrive at a 'settlement' through political 'dialogue'. Not just that, but a recent report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has stated that 63% of Beijing's arms exports between 2020 and 2024 went to Pakistan. The Indian Army has also publicly revealed the details of the Chinese-made armaments, such as PL-15E long-range missiles, which were developed by China's Aviation Industry Corporation and used by Pakistan during the conflict. The official assessment of the Indian Army, expressed by Deputy Chief of Army Staff General Rahul Singh, is that China, along with Turkey, backed Pakistan by providing real-time inputs of India's actions during Operation Sindoor. While declaring that China opposes all forms of terrorism, its foreign ministry further asserts that it seeks to play a constructive role in fostering amity. Does Beijing really think it can present itself as an honest broker even as it acts like a behind-the-scenes instigator? China should remember well former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's sage advice, that snakes would eventually come to bite those who nurtured them in their backyard. (Harsh V Pant is Vice President, Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi. Kalpit Mankikar is Fellow, China Studies, at ORF.)
New Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Pahalgam terror attack was ISI-LeT plot directed by Pakistan's top brass: Report
The April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, that claimed 26 lives was a 'closely guarded conspiracy' hatched by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group under instructions from the highest levels of Pakistan's political and military leadership, according to security sources cited by Times of India. Sources said the ISI had tasked Lashkar commander Sajid Jutt with executing the plan, instructing him to involve only foreign terrorists to maintain secrecy. 'No Kashmiri terrorist was taken on board,' an official said, adding that the operation was carried out strictly on a 'need-to-know' basis to avoid leaks. Foreign LeT operatives already active in J&K were roped in for the massacre, while local support was limited to shelter and logistics, according to investigators. 'No local terrorist had participated in the gruesome killing or was in the loop on exact details of the terror plot,' the official added.
News18
4 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Pakistan's New Punjab Blueprint: Golden Temple At The Heart Of ISI's Hybrid War Plan
Intelligence inputs accessed on July 14, 2025, reveal a renewed push to use the sacred site as both a shield and a trigger. A sinister new blueprint by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), accessed by CNN-News18, aims to destabilise Punjab using a hybrid warfare model that mixes terrorism, psychological operations, digital propaganda, and religious manipulation. Intelligence agencies have confirmed that ISI is reviving tactics reminiscent of the 1980s insurgency period — this time with advanced tools and global collaboration — to trigger unrest centered around the Golden Temple. Golden Temple: Symbol, Shield, and Target The core of the new operational blueprint is the tactical and symbolic exploitation of the Golden Temple. Intelligence inputs accessed on July 14, 2025, reveal a renewed push to use the sacred site as both a shield and a trigger. The recent bomb threat email received by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), referencing RDX, points to coordinated efforts by ISI-backed groups to provoke mass outrage through calculated targeting of religious sensitivities. Officials warn that any miscalculated action near the shrine could lead to a nationwide standoff, comparable to the events of 1984. The Golden Temple's sanctity makes it difficult to fully police, thereby creating security blind spots that ISI intends to exploit for arms dumps, propaganda filming, and sheltering operatives. The convergence of religious emotion, political symbolism, and lack of surveillance provides ISI with a potent recipe for unrest. Tech, Terror, and Trauma: Tools of Psychological Warfare Social media platforms, encrypted messaging apps such as Threema and Element, and diaspora-driven campaigns are being weaponised to incite separatist sentiment. Unofficial Khalistan referendums have been inflated with false participation claims — 127,000 in San Francisco, 55,000 in Calgary, and 37,000 in New Zealand — used not only for propaganda but also as fundraising tools through NGO fronts. Gangster-Terror Nexus and Cross-Border Logistics Pakistan's strategy leans heavily on the deepening nexus between gangsters and Khalistani terror outfits. Operatives like Goldy Brar have claimed responsibility for killings in Russia and California, showcasing a chilling international reach. The assassination attempt on Shiromani Akali Dal's Sukhbir Badal near the Golden Temple by Chaura, a Pakistan-trained Babbar Khalsa terrorist, is another example of targeted violence backed by decades-old terror linkages. Drone incursions continue to be a critical conduit for cross-border smuggling. In 2024 alone, Punjab recorded 286 such instances involving AK rifles, heroin, IEDs, and even satellite phones. Border districts like Tarn Taran and Ferozepur have emerged as key nodes for these operations. Digital Insurgency and Diaspora Involvement Key figures like Gurpatwant Singh Pannun have escalated their rhetoric, threatening events such as Pravasi Bharatiya Divas and invoking terror tactics similar to Hamas. From prison, Amritpal Singh has announced the launch of a political party, pledging to declare Khalistan within a year if elected — further blurring the lines between secessionist ideology and democratic posturing. The use of psychological tactics is relentless. The 19 fake threats to Air India in three days during 2024, later traced to SFJ's digital disruption campaigns, underscore the new era of 'keyboard insurgency." Posters glorifying Bhindranwale, calls for embassy attacks, and AI-generated narratives about injustice against Sikhs continue to flood diaspora and domestic spaces. Crackdown and Countermeasures Indian agencies have responded with intensified crackdowns. In 2024, 66 terrorists were arrested, 12 active modules were neutralised, and 1,099 kg of heroin was seized. The NIA blocked over 7,500 radical URLs, seized Rs 73 crore from terror-linked scams, and invoked the UAPA to target SFJ operatives' digital and financial assets. Courts have denied bail in key cases, signalling a firm judicial stance. Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
