#JUSTIN: Pakistani National Arrested Near Bangladesh Border Was Tracking Army Activity

The West Bengal Special Task Force (STF) has detained two people, including a suspected Pakistani national, from locations near the India-Bangladesh border and in Kolkata, officials said on Wednesday. Investigators suspect the Pakistani national was involved in tracking Indian Army activity and may have links with Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI. The suspected Pakistani national was identified as Rana Rauf, alias Wahab Alam, a resident of Faisalabad in Pakistan.

He was arrested late Tuesday from Habra in North 24 Parganas district after STF personnel acted on a tip-off and conducted a search near Bangaon, close to the India-Bangladesh border. Officials said investigators are examining Rauf's activities, movements and contacts in India to establish the nature and extent of his alleged intelligence links. Authorities suspect that he may have been working for or maintaining contact with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), though the investigation is still underway and the allegations have not been established in court.

According to officials, investigators are particularly examining whether Rauf was involved in collecting information related to Indian Army activities. Security agencies are expected to scrutinise his communications, movements and interactions to determine what information he may have accessed or shared and whether anyone else assisted him during his stay in India. The STF also arrested another person, identified as Mohammad Ejaz, from Topsia in Kolkata on Tuesday. Officials alleged that Ejaz had been in direct contact with Rauf and had helped him obtain Indian identity documents.

Also Read: Bengal STF Arrests Suspected Pakistani Nationals Near Bangladesh Border

Authorities have not disclosed further details about Ejaz's identity or the specific documents allegedly obtained with his assistance. The arrests followed an intelligence tip-off that prompted the state STF to launch operations at separate locations. Habra, in North 24 Parganas, lies in a district that includes areas close to the India-Bangladesh border, making the region an important location from a security and law-enforcement perspective. Investigators are now working to establish how Rauf entered India, how long he had been operating in the country and whether he had established a wider network.

The suspected links to the ISI and alleged efforts to monitor military activity are likely to bring the case under close scrutiny from Indian security agencies. Investigators will also examine the role allegedly played by Ejaz in facilitating access to Indian identification documents and maintaining contact with Rauf. Officials have not yet provided details about the specific military information allegedly tracked by Rauf or whether any sensitive material was recovered during the arrests.

The investigation is expected to focus on his communications, financial transactions, movements and contacts as agencies seek to determine whether the two suspects were part of a larger intelligence-gathering network. The arrests come against the backdrop of heightened security concerns along India's international borders and continued efforts by security agencies to identify suspected espionage networks. For now, the allegations against the two men remain part of an ongoing investigation, with authorities yet to publicly establish the full extent of their activities or the information they may have allegedly sought to obtain.

Also Read: Taj Lands End Gets Additional Rs 5.51 Crore Property Tax Penalty From BMC