2 weeks ago
Pakistani National, Aide Held In Bengal For ISI Links
Police in West Bengal, India, arrested two men they believe may be spies.
One of the men, Rana Rauf, is from Pakistan and was living in India using fake identity papers.
Police say Rana entered India secretly from Nepal in 2012.
They believe he worked for ISI, Pakistan's spy agency.
Police think he was collecting information about the Indian military and railways.
Rana got a fake Aadhaar card and voter ID with the help of his friend Mohammad Ijaz.
Police say Rana also planned to cross into Bangladesh without permission.
Both men were taken to court and were sent to police custody for 14 days.
The police are still investigating what the two men were really doing.
The Special Task Force of West Bengal Police arrested Pakistani national Rana Rauf, alias Wahab Alam (also reported as Waheb Alam and Shani), and his aide Mohammad Ijaz over alleged ISI links ahead of Independence Day.
Rana was arrested from Habra in North 24 Parganas following a tip-off — one report says Tuesday night, another Wednesday — and Ijaz was nabbed from his house in Topsia, Kolkata, on Wednesday.
Police allege Rana entered India illegally from Kathmandu, Nepal, via Raxaul, Bihar, and with Ijaz's help obtained a fake Aadhaar card and voter ID in the name of his late father, identified as Wahab Alam in one report and Khalid Mahmood in another.
Investigators said Rana was in contact with suspected Pakistani or ISI operatives based in Kathmandu and was allegedly recruiting sleeper cells in Bengal and Calcutta targeting military installations, troop movements and Indian Railways.
Rana allegedly planned to cross illegally into Bangladesh with the help of a tout named Pavel, and a court remanded both men in police custody for 14 days.
- Who
- Rana Rauf (also reported as Rana Rouf Khalid, alias Wahab Alam, Waheb Alam and Shani), a Pakistani national from Faisalabad district reportedly living in Kolkata as a carpenter, and his aide Mohammad Ijaz, a Topsia resident and shoe factory worker
- What
- Arrested by West Bengal Police's Special Task Force for alleged ISI links, illegal entry into India, forged identity documents, alleged sleeper-cell recruitment, and planned illegal crossing into Bangladesh
- Where
- Habra in North 24 Parganas and Topsia in Kolkata, West Bengal, India; Rana allegedly entered via Raxaul, Bihar, from Nepal
- When
- Ahead of Independence Day celebrations; one report says Rana was arrested Tuesday night, another says Wednesday, with Ijaz arrested Wednesday and both produced before a court that day
- Why
- Police allege Rana entered India as an ISI handler, procured fake identity documents, was in contact with suspected ISI operatives in Kathmandu, and planned to cross into Bangladesh illegally
Key facts
- Arrested Persons
- Rana Rauf (alias Wahab Alam / Waheb Alam / Shani) and Mohammad Ijaz
- Agency
- Special Task Force (STF), West Bengal Police
- Rana's Origin
- Faisalabad district, Pakistan (reportedly from Hafizabad)
- Ijaz's Residence
- Topsia, Kolkata
- Arrest Locations
- Habra, North 24 Parganas; Topsia, Kolkata
- Alleged Entry Route
- Kathmandu, Nepal (2012), via Raxaul, Bihar
- Alleged Targets
- Military installations, troop movements, Indian Railways
- Court Action
- Both remanded in police custody for 14 days
Sources
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