Pakistani spy tried to infiltrate Indian railways, monitor troops, move teams: sources

India told Abid Hussain and another Pakistani spy to leave within 24 hours

New Delhi:

One of the two Pakistani spies captured in Delhi on Sunday and leaving India in 24 hours had attempted to monitor the movement of Indian trains carrying soldiers and military equipment, people with direct knowledge of the matter said.

Abid Hussain and Tahir Khan, who worked in the visa section of the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi, were detained on Sunday by the Delhi Police Special Cell for carrying out espionage in India. The two worked for Pakistan Inter-Service Intelligence or ISI and used false identity documents to move around, the sources said.

They left India on Monday night, the AFP news agency reported, citing embassy officials.

Abid Hussain took several false identities to attract Indian officials working in key organizations and departments, the sources said, asking not to be identified.

One of the identities he used had the name, “Gautam,” which purported to be the brother of a fictional journalist to facilitate access for people, the sources said, adding that the Pakistani spy’s mission was to manage an “asset” in Indian. Railways.

After identifying a possible recruit on the railways, Abid Hussain approached him and attempted to gain his trust by asking him for information on train movements for his non-existent journalist brother, who was allegedly making a story about Indian Railways and for whom he was willing To do it. pay some money, the sources said.

Abid Hussain then planned to gather as much intelligence as possible on Indian trains carrying troops and equipment through his newly recruited asset, the sources said.

The Foreign Ministry in a statement on Sunday said the two spies were “declared persona non grata for participating in activities incompatible with their status as members of a diplomatic mission.”

“The Pakistan Cd’A was asked to ensure that no member of its diplomatic mission engaged in activities hostile to India or behaved in a manner inconsistent with its diplomatic status,” the Foreign Ministry said.