The Anti-Terrorism Squad of Bihar Police on Friday arrested a man from Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district on charges of spying for Pakistan by sharing photos, videos and location details of sensitive websites with foreign handlers through encrypted messaging platforms.
Officials said that Muhammad Mustafa of Ratanpur village in Muzaffarpur was arrested during a raid conducted based on a tip-off.
According to the investigation agency, Mustafa was in constant contact with foreign dealers, as he was sending photos and videos of important and sensitive places in the country via social media platforms and encrypted messaging applications. The geographical locations of these places were also shared.
A senior official of the counter-terrorism agency said that Mustafa was linked to a Pakistani arms smuggling gang led by Shehzad Bhatti and his associates, including Rana Haneen.
The official said Bhatti has been identified as a Pakistan-based underworld figure who runs a sophisticated criminal network with deep ties to Pakistani intelligence agencies. “He is described as a key agent of the ISI, tasked with organizing cross-border terror units and recruiting Indian youth through social media platforms to carry out high-profile strikes,” he added.
An ATS official familiar with the matter said several digital pieces of evidence, including objectionable and anti-national material, were found on Mustafa’s cell phone. While examining his phone, police recovered deleted chats, backups, data and active messaging apps, which revealed suspicious activities, the official said.
ATS is now conducting an in-depth investigation into Mustafa’s travel history, call detail records, social media activities and financial transactions. They try to identify others involved in the network and confirm the presence of foreign funding.
“He has been booked under serious sections related to espionage, anti-national activities and national security. Mustafa’s interrogation continues and major secrets in this case are likely to be revealed in the coming days,” the official said.
Earlier, a suspect identified as Muhammad Naushad Ali, a resident of Harchanda village in Muzaffarpur, was arrested from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh on charges of sending confidential information abroad.
