ISI’s new-age spy recruitment exposed

The number of arrests in connection with ISI-backed espionage cases has gone up substantially in the last one year. The ISI has been resorting to various tactics to appoint spies in India, who in turn are paid or blackmailed to provide sensitive information from the country.

An Intelligence Bureau official said that there are a bunch of recruiters and handlers based out of Pakistan whose primary job is to monitor those making reels on social media.

These persons understand the mindset of most of these people and are taking advantage of that to trap or lure them into becoming spies for Pakistan.

These persons who make reels only care about engagement. This is something that the ISI has been using to trap such persons. Scores of fake accounts are created on these social media sites and these accounts are used to keep the engagement high.

The handlers often indulge in conversations with these persons making reels. After a certain period of time, they are offered engagement and most of the times, these persons fall for it. The fake accounts are then put to use to boost the engagement of these persons.

Another official said that these persons who are set to be trapped are not told at first about what they should be doing. By luring them with more followers, they are told to shoot videos of specific locations and share it with them.

Many innocently follow orders and by the time they realise what is happening, it is too late. Following this, these persons are offered small sums of money and asked to share information about sensitive locations, the official added.

Officials say that this is similar to the influencer network that the ISI had built up. While both modus operandi remain similar, the payments that are made to the influencers when compared to the smaller players making reels, is higher.

The influencers already have large engagements and hence it is the money that is used to lure them. In the case of the smaller players, it is likes and engagement that sets the bait, officials say.

Take the case of Zaid Khan, a resident of Uttar Pradesh who was arrested by the Telangana police on charges of spying. During his questioning, he told the police that he would constantly post reels on social media. Two persons Rana Hussain and Avid began following him and liking his reels. Over a period of time they began speaking to him via social media.

With his engagement growing, he agreed to work for the duo. He was asked to collect the mobile number of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s Personal Assistant. He was also asked to gather information about various Cabinet ministers in UP.

Apart from engagement, Zaid Khan was also promised a pistol. For this, he was asked to put up posters in UP in the name of a Pakistan-based don.

An official added that most of these persons who are making reels do not understand the gravity of the situation. Zaid may have wanted the pistol to make a reel posing with it, an official said while adding that the matter is still under investigation.

The official added that these persons who make reels are so blinded by engagement that on many occasions they do not even weigh the pros and cons of their actions. The ISI has understood the obsession of these people and is taking complete advantage of this.

The Intelligence agencies, apart from monitoring social media accounts of influencers are also now keeping close tabs on ordinary persons making reels with the sole intention of boosting engagement.

The ISI is using every tool at its disposal to build a massive espionage network in India. This push has only gone up multifold post 'Operation Sindoor' as the operation carried out by the Indian armed forces embarrassed Pakistan no end.

Now it wants as much information on India’s Defence sector, so that it could be used as a tool to embarrass the armed forces, an official said.