New Delhi: Delhi Police have busted an alleged Pakistan-based espionage network backed by the Inter-Services Intelligence, or ISI, and arrested a young Delhi couple accused of supplying Indian SIM cards to the module, officials said Friday.
Mohammad Sahil, 25, and his wife, Sameera, 21, allegedly worked with the network for nearly two years and were paid to procure Indian SIM cards and send them to Pakistan through Dubai, according to the Delhi Police Special Cell.
Investigators said the SIM cards were subsequently used by Pakistani intelligence operatives to activate WhatsApp accounts from Pakistan. The accounts were allegedly used to join Indian WhatsApp groups and approach people in an attempt to obtain sensitive information linked to India’s defense establishment.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Narra Chaitanya said the couple was also allegedly involved in recruiting people in India for reconnaissance of military cantonments and gathering details about Army personnel facing court-martial proceedings.
Police said the Special Cell received information about the alleged ISI-backed network operating in Delhi and the National Capital Region. The investigation found that the module had recruited people locally to provide logistical assistance and procure Indian SIM cards.
Couple allegedly recruited through Instagram
According to investigators, Sahil came into contact with a Pakistani agent on Instagram through Sameera, who was his friend at the time and later became his wife.
The agent allegedly introduced the couple to a Pakistani intelligence operative, who gradually cultivated them and persuaded them to work for the network in exchange for money.
Police said Sahil and Sameera were subsequently tasked with providing logistical support in Delhi and helping recruit additional people for espionage and field operations.
“The operative gradually cultivated Sahil and Sameera and convinced them to work for the network for financial gains,” Chaitanya said.
Eight SIM cards sent to Pakistan
Investigators alleged that the couple received ₹30,000 for sending eight Indian SIM cards to Pakistan through Dubai during 2024 and 2025.
Police said the numbers were later used to activate WhatsApp accounts in Pakistan. Some of those accounts allegedly gained access to Indian WhatsApp groups, where the network attempted to collect sensitive information.
A police officer said the accounts were also used to establish contact with Indians who could potentially provide information sought by the network.
Chats found on mobile phones
Sahil, a resident of Sarai Kale Khan in south Delhi, was identified during the investigation and subsequently arrested, police said.
Forensic examination of his mobile phone allegedly revealed chats with Pakistani handlers that investigators described as incriminating. Police said the two mobile phones used by the couple contained conversations that could help establish their links with the network.
“The forensic analysis of his mobile phone helped us find his incriminating chats with Pakistani agents,” Chaitanya said.
The interrogation of the couple has also provided investigators with information about the alleged network’s structure, its Pakistan-based handlers and the methods used to coordinate with operatives and sleeper cells in India, police said.
Officials said encrypted communication platforms were allegedly used to maintain contact between the Pakistan-based handlers and their contacts in India.
Police said the arrests helped disrupt the alleged espionage operation and provided leads for identifying other people who may have been involved in the network.
Sahil is an Indira Gandhi National Open University graduate who had worked with a lawyer and was planning to pursue a law course, police said. He left the job in June 2022 and had remained unemployed since then. Sameera completed her BA through correspondence and had previously worked at a call center, according to investigators.
