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NEW DELHI: In a meticulously executed three-month covert operation, Indian intelligence agencies dismantled a high-stakes espionage ring linked to Pakistan’s ISI, preventing a potential terrorist strike in the national capital.Under Arrest1. Ansarul Miya Ansari, a Pakistani spy2. Akhlaque Azam, India-based logistics personCharges:Espionage – possession of confidential documents related to Indian Armed ForcesBackground and Investigation
- Central agency received intelligence about ISI’s plan to send a spy to Delhi to collect sensitive information related to Indian Armed Forces
- Classified information was to be used by ISI to launch attack on Delhi
- Targets included
Palam Air Force base , CGO Complex and Army cantonment, Delhi Cantt
The Operation
- Team gathered information through on-ground sources and laid a trap
- Ansari was apprehended in Feb in Delhi while he was on his way back to Pakistan via Nepal
- Case registered under
Official Secrets Act - A chargesheet filed in city court in May
- Role of Pak High Commission officials emerged
- Incriminating conversations between accused and Pakistani handlers found on mobile phones
- Akhlaque Azam arrested in March during a raid
- Role of Akhlaque Azam as logistics support in India emerged
- Visited Pakistan in June 2024 for a month, met several high-ranking military officials
- Contacted by ISI recruiter during visit
The operation ended with the arrest of Ansarul Miya Ansari, a Pakistani operative tasked with gathering sensitive Indian armed forces data and Akhlaque Azam, an Indian national providing logistical support. The probe uncovered suspicious communications involving staffers at the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi, believed to have aided ISI officers Muzammil and Ehsan-ur-Rahim in cultivating Indian influencers for intelligence purposes. The operation began in January with a tip-off about an ISI agent entering Delhi via Nepal to collect classified military documents and coordinates. After intelligence confirmed an imminent attack plan targeting key defence installations—including Palam Air Force base, the CGO Complex, and Delhi Cantonment—authorities laid a trap. On 15 February, Ansari was apprehended in central Delhi carrying sensitive documents, as he attempted to return to Pakistan. Subsequent investigations revealed Azam’s role as a logistics facilitator in India, with intercepted mobile phone conversations indicating a wider conspiracy involving Pakistani handlers. Azam was arrested in March during a coordinated raid. Further interrogation disclosed Ansari’s radicalisation and recruitment by the ISI during a month-long stay in Pakistan in June 2024, where he met high-ranking military officials and received espionage training. The chargesheet filed in May under the Official Secrets Act formally accuses both men of espionage related to possession and attempted transfer of classified military information. With trial proceedings set to begin, the accused remain in Tihar jail’s high-security wing under close watch to prevent any influence over other inmates. Authorities remain vigilant, signalling a firm stance in safeguarding national security from covert threats.