Authorities in Punjab's Pathankot district have arrested a 15-year-old boy on charges of espionage, accusing him of transmitting sensitive information about strategic locations to operatives connected to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), military officials, and associated terror networks. The arrest, executed on Monday based on credible intelligence, underscores the growing threat of cross-border digital manipulation targeting vulnerable youth. Pathankot Senior Superintendent of Police Daljinder Singh Dhillon confirmed the development, highlighting the minor's year-long engagement with hostile elements.

The teenager, a resident of Samba district in Jammu and Kashmir and identified as Sanjeev Kumar, reportedly became susceptible to radicalisation following the death of his father more than a year ago. Police investigations revealed that the boy harboured unfounded suspicions of foul play in his father's demise, which profoundly impacted his mental state. This emotional vulnerability led him to frequent various social media platforms, where he inadvertently entered the radar of Pakistani agencies seeking to exploit such individuals for intelligence gathering.

Described by authorities as highly tech-savvy, the minor fell into a sophisticated trap orchestrated by his handlers across the border. The operatives successfully cloned his mobile device, granting them remote access to its contents without his full awareness. Through this method, they extracted photographs, videos, and details of critical installations that the boy had captured. Police expressed grave concern that, had the intrusion gone undetected, sensitive data could have been transmitted in real-time, posing a direct threat to national security.

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Further probing disclosed the boy's communications with gangster elements operating terror modules linked to Pakistan, amplifying fears of potential escalation. SSP Dhillon emphasised that the timely apprehension averted a possibly catastrophic outcome, noting that the minor might have progressed to executing disruptive activities in the future. The case has triggered heightened alerts across Punjab, with security agencies scrutinising similar patterns of online grooming.

As investigations continue, law enforcement agencies are mapping the full scope of compromised information and probing for any additional recruits in this network. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the evolving tactics employed by adversarial entities, particularly in leveraging digital platforms to radicalise and recruit impressionable minors, thereby necessitating stronger countermeasures against cyber-enabled espionage threats.

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