The Punjab police on Tuesday said they has busted a cross-border espionage network with the arrest of two Army personnel on the charge of spying and providing classified documents to the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan.
They have been identified as Sepoy Harpreet Singh (23) and Sepoy Gurbhej Singh (23). Harpreet, who hails from Cheecha village in Amritsar, was posted in Anantnag. He joined the Army in 2017 and belongs to the 19 Rashtriya Rifles. Gurbhej, a native of village Punian in Tarn Taran, belongs to the 18 Sikh Light Infantry and was working as a clerk in Kargil. He joined the Army in 2015.
Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta, said the Jalandhar (Rural) police, led by Senior Superintendent of Police Naveen Singla, while investigating a Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances case, recovered confidential and secret documents related to the functioning and deployment of the Army from cross-border drug smuggler Ranvir Singh, who was arrested with 70 gm heroin on May 24, 2021.
He said that during interrogation, Ranvir disclosed that he got these documents from Harpreet, who was his friend, as they both belonged to the same village.
“Ranvir motivated and lured Harpreet with financial benefits for sharing defence-related classified documents, following which the latter induced his friend Gurbhej into such anti-national spying activities,” said Mr. Gupta. Since Gurbhej was working as a clerk in the 121 Infantry Brigade Headquarters in Kargil, he could get easy access to classified documents containing both strategic and tactical information relating to the Army.
Sharing of photos
Mr. Gupta stated that both the accused Army personnel had shared photos of over 900 classified documents — pertaining to the defence of the country and national security to Ranvir between February and May 2021. He then passed them on to Pakistani intelligence officers.
Ranvir used to send the classified documents to either the Pakistan ISI operatives directly or via Gopi, who has been identified as the main drug smuggler from village Dauke in Amritsar, having links with Pakistan based drug-smuggling syndicates and ISI officials, who invariably worked in tandem with each other, the DGP said.
Following Ranvir’s disclosures, the police arrested Gopi, who confessed to having transferred classified documents to Pakistan-based drug smugglers, one of whom has been identified as Kothar, and an alleged Pak ISI operative, identified as Sikander, in lieu of supply of heroin and financial benefits. All these photographs were transmitted over encrypted apps.
According to preliminary investigation, DGP Gupta said, Ranvir gave money to Harpreet, who further transferred it to Gurbhej’s account.
Mr. Singla said the Army authorities had handed over the accused Army personnel to the Jalandhar Rural Police and further investigation was on to ascertain the involvement of others.
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