Pakistan's spy web expands: Punjab man held for sharing Operation Sindoor details with PIOs

A Punjab man from Tarn Taran was arrested for sharing sensitive military information with Pakistani intelligence during Operation Sindoor.

A man from Tarn Taran district in Punjab, identified as Gagandeep Singh alias Gagan, was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly sharing sensitive information about Indian Army troop deployments and strategic locations with Pakistani intelligence operatives (PIOs) during Operation Sindoor, police said.

Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav revealed that the accused had been in contact with Pakistan-based pro-Khalistan leader Gopal Singh Chawla for the past five years. Through Chawla, Gagandeep Singh was introduced to Pakistani intelligence officials and allegedly passed on classified military details.

"Arrested accused had been in contact with the #Pakistan #ISI and (Pakistan based Khalistani supporter) Gopal Singh Chawla, sharing sensitive information concerning army movements during #OperationSindoor," the DGP said in a post on X.

The arrest was carried out in a joint operation between Tarn Taran police and the Counter Intelligence wing. Police seized a mobile phone containing sensitive intelligence shared by Gagandeep Singh with Pakistani operatives. The phone also held information about more than 20 contacts linked to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

Investigations revealed that Gagandeep received payments from Pakistani intelligence via Indian bank channels. The police are conducting thorough financial and technical investigations to uncover the extent of this espionage network and any additional collaborators.

An FIR has been registered under the Official Secrets Act at the City Police Station in Tarn Taran. Further investigations are underway to trace the complete network involved in this espionage case.

Operation Sindoor and Previous Spy Arrests

Operation Sindoor involved pre-dawn missile strikes on May 7 targeting nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. These strikes were carried out in retaliation to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.

Earlier, six other individuals had been arrested in Punjab for spying activities, including:

• Falaksher Masih and Suraj Masih from Ajnala, Amritsar.
• Guzala and Yameen Mohamad from Malerkotla, who received payments in exchange for classified information.
• Sukhpreet Singh and Karanbir Singh from Gurdaspur, involved in sharing military secrets with ISI.

On May 13, India expelled Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, a Pakistani official posted at the Pakistan High Commission, for allegedly engaging in espionage activities linked to this spying network.