Pak Agent's Arrest in UP: Security Agencies Unearth Conspiracy Honey-trapping Indian Officials

Sources in the Intelligence Unit of Uttar Pradesh said that the Pakistan Intelligence Operative is planning a big conspiracy against India by honey-trapping our officials through fake social media profiles. The Intelligence Wing has also issued guidelines against such fake social media profiles.

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Anti Terrorist Squad, which recently arrested a Pakistani agent working at the Indian Embassy in Moscow has claimed to have uncovered a Pakistani conspiracy to honey-trap and blackmail Indian officials through fake profiles on social media, sources said. Satyendra Siwal, posted as security assistant in the Indian Embassy in Moscow, Russia, was arrested by the UP ATS in Meerut.

Sources in the Intelligence Unit have said that during the subsequent interrogation of the Pakistani agent, it was revealed that Pakistan was collecting confidential information by blackmailing Indian police officers and their families through its intelligence agents, who create fake profiles on social media. Sources said that profiles of 14 women have been created on social media.

According to the UP Intelligence Unit, Pakistan Intelligence Operative (PIO) is planning a big conspiracy against India. Using mobile numbers from many countries including India, accounts are being created on social media platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, Linkedin by using Indian names and profile photos of beautiful women, sources said.

They said that Pakistan is honey-trapping officers, employees and their family members of police and security agencies through these fake profiles by making audio or video calls. In the case of arrested Pakistani agent Satyendra Siwal, sources said that he was honey-trapped by a Pakistani agent with the social media account name Pooja with whom Siwal shared confidential information with Pakistan, sources said.

Sources said that the profile of Pooja Atar Singh on Facebook has been created by a Pakistan Intelligence operative. The Intelligence Unit of UP Police had already issued an alert for this profile. The security officials have red-flagged 13 other similar profiles deployed into honey-trapping Indian officials. These include Aniya Rajpoot alias Ariba Rajpoot, Alina Gupta, Aanya Aanya, Dipa Kumari alias Dipa Ayushi, Ishanika Ahir, Manpreet Preety, Neha Sharma, Prisa Agrawal, Priya Sharma alias Payal Sharma, Sweta Kapoor, Sangita Das, Tariqa Raj and Prisha alias Harkin Gill.

Security agencies have issued guidelines for the general public against such social media profiles. Among other features, these fake Facebook profiles of ISI have the photo of a beautiful girl. Besides, on such Facebook accounts, a picture related to the army may be posted on the timeline or profile. Whenever the profile is updated, the photo changes, security agencies said.

The girl whose picture is posted on Facebook's timeline is found to be from open source after checking Google reverse image and no one will reply to comments made on Facebook. There will be no mention of relationships in the comments in such profiles.