India’s security agencies have uncovered a deeply troubling espionage network involving teenagers allegedly recruited and manipulated by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), signalling a dangerous shift in cross-border intelligence tactics. Officials describe the operation as a deliberate attempt to exploit impressionable minors for intelligence-gathering purposes, significantly raising concerns over internal security and digital vulnerability among young users.

Senior intelligence officials revealed that more than 37 minors aged between 14 and 17 have been placed under active surveillance. Of these, 12 are from Punjab and Haryana, while 25 are from Jammu and Kashmir. Investigators believe the minors were systematically targeted through online platforms, gradually groomed, and psychologically influenced to cooperate with handlers operating from across the border.

The network came to light following the detention of a 15-year-old boy in Jammu and Kashmir’s Samba district. Preliminary investigations indicated that the minor was in contact with ISI-linked operatives and front organisations associated with terror groups. Police officials stated that he was instructed to film sensitive military installations, relay information about troop movements, and assist with reconnaissance-related activities.

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Digital forensic analysis of the teenager’s mobile phone revealed sophisticated cyber-espionage techniques. Officials confirmed that the device had been remotely cloned after the minor clicked on a malicious link, enabling handlers to monitor his activities in real time and extract stored content. Authorities believe similar technological methods were used to recruit, control, and exploit other teenagers involved in the network.

Security agencies have characterised the case as a new and alarming frontier in espionage, underscoring how minors are being drawn into intelligence operations through digital manipulation. Law enforcement is now working to identify vulnerable youths, disrupt online recruitment channels, and strengthen preventive outreach. Officials have also stressed the importance of parental awareness and institutional vigilance to prevent further exploitation of minors by hostile agencies.

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