Delhi Police arrested Prabhat Kumar Chaurasiya, a 43-year-old Nepali national from Birganj, in east Delhi’s Laxmi Nagar area for allegedly supplying Indian SIM cards to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for espionage activities. The arrest followed a tip-off, revealing Chaurasiya’s role in procuring and smuggling SIM cards used by ISI operatives to gather sensitive information about Indian defense establishments, including the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Army units.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Amit Kaushik, Chaurasiya procured at least 16 SIM cards from private telecom companies using Aadhaar credentials. These SIMs were sent to Nepal and subsequently smuggled to ISI operatives in Pakistan, with 11 found active on social media platforms like WhatsApp in cities such as Lahore and Bahawalpur. The SIM cards were used by ISI handlers to contact Indian Army personnel and pursue espionage objectives.
Chaurasiya, a former pharmaceutical professional and IT graduate, faced financial distress after his logistics company in Kathmandu collapsed in 2017. In 2024, he was approached by ISI operatives through a Nepali intermediary, who lured him with promises of a US visa and journalism opportunities abroad. Desperate to settle overseas, Chaurasiya agreed to supply SIM cards and attempt to collect defense-related information, police said.
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During the arrest, authorities recovered digital devices containing incriminating material and multiple SIM card envelopes. A case has been registered against Chaurasiya under sections 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) and 152 (acts endangering sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at the Special Cell Police Station.
The investigation continues to identify Chaurasiya’s associates, trace the courier network, and apprehend the ISI handlers involved. This arrest highlights the persistent threat of cross-border espionage and the exploitation of vulnerable individuals by foreign intelligence agencies, raising concerns about national security in India’s capital.
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