Alleged Pakistani spy Shahzad, arrested by the Uttar Pradesh ATS from Moradabad, was produced before a special court in Lucknow today.
The court has sent the accused to 14-day judicial custody. The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) had arrested Shahzad for allegedly passing on intelligence information during the cross-border smuggling. A case has been registered under relevant legal sections at the ATS headquarters in Lucknow.
Shahzad is accused of illegally transporting goods such as clothes, spices and cosmetics across the India-Pakistan border and secretly passing on vital security information to ISI handlers. The ATS said Shahzad actively maintained contact with ISI agents and had also arranged to send people from Rampur and other parts of Uttar Pradesh to Pakistan on the pretext of smuggling to recruit them for espionage.
Officials said that Shehzad Wahab, a resident of Azad Nagar locality in Tanda area of Rampur shared confidential information and arranged travel documents for those he helped send to Pakistan. His wife, Razia, denying the allegations, said, “My husband deals in salwar suits from Lahore. When there is no work, he sells fruits on a cart. He goes to Pakistan once or twice a year. Someone has framed him. He is illiterate. I’ve never seen him doing anything suspicious.”ATS officials alleged that Shehzad smuggled cosmetics, clothes, spices, and other goods under the guise of running a legitimate business. “He had strong ties with ISI agents.
He remained in constant touch with them and shared confidential information related to India’s security,” an ATS official said, adding that “Shehzad gave Indian SIM cards to ISI agents and also funded their activities in India.” “He had recruited over 20 individuals, including three women from Sambhal, Moradabad, and Rampur, for ISI activities in UP.”Investigators said Shehzad’s operations extended to arranging travel for recruits.
“He used to send people from Rampur and nearby areas to Pakistan for ISI work. The ISI agents took care of their visas and logistics,” said another source in the ATS. An FIR was lodged against Shehzad at the ATS police station in Lucknow under BNS section 148 (harbouring an offender) and section 152 (acts endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India).
He was thereafter presented in court.The arrest comes amid widespread crackdown on alleged espionage networks connected to Pakistan. On May 13, Haryana Police arrested 26-year-old Armaan from Nuh district on espionage charges. On the same day, Hisar-based YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, who ran a popular channel ‘Travel with Jo’, was also arrested for suspected links to Pakistani operatives.