In response to what officials describe as a deepening espionage network by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) after Operation Sindoor, an awareness drive is now underway in Jammu’s border villages to protect young people from being targeted.
Marh legislator Surinder Bhagat has launched an awareness campaign in coordination with police and ex-servicemen across villages located along the border.
The initiative aims to prevent young people from falling prey to ISI honeytraps or unknowingly sharing sensitive information such as troop movement.
“Many of these boys don’t grasp that they’re being lured. What seems like a friendly call is often bait,” Bhagat said. “We are saying to them: never disclose details of security installations or troop movement to strangers, on the phone or otherwise,” he added.
The awareness drive comes days after the arrest of a 23-year-old man from a border village.
Jammu Police arrested Karan, a school dropout from Makwal village, for allegedly spying for the ISI after being honeytrapped.
Police said a woman operative, posing as a Border Security Force official from Punjab, befriended him on Snapchat months ago. She gained his trust through frequent chats and obscene video calls.
Later, claiming she had moved to Sunderbani and was facing connectivity issues, she asked for his mother’s WhatsApp OTP. Karan shared the OTP, allowing her access to the account.
He was then asked to send photos and videos of Army bunkers, defence posts and bridges near Jammu. Police said he allegedly received Rs 2,000 for the first set of information.
When she pressed for more, military intelligence placed him under surveillance. After confirming his activities, the Army alerted Jammu Police, and a joint team arrested him.
ISI Modus Operandi
Officials say Pakistan is now recalibrating its tactics. Along with honeytraps, it is installing covert CCTV cameras at vantage points to monitor troop movement in real time. Several minors have also been targeted for recruitment into espionage networks, officials added.
Bhagat said the recent arrest exposed the scale of the threat and prompted the awareness drive.
“The tactics are changing. The intent isn’t,” a senior security official said.
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