2 weeks ago
Bengal STF arrests three in Cooch Behar over ISI spying
Police officers in West Bengal, a state in India, caught three people on a Friday night, just before India's Independence Day.
The police think these three people were working as secret agents for Pakistan's spy agency, called the ISI.
The suspects are accused of collecting Indian SIM cards, the little chips that make phones work, and sending them to Pakistan through Bangladesh.
Police also say the group had links to fake money smuggling.
The next day, the three people appeared in court, and a judge sent them to police custody for 14 days.
This is part of a bigger effort by Bengal police to catch people suspected of helping terror groups.
Earlier, police arrested a man from Pakistan named Rana Rauf, who they say entered India illegally in 2012 using fake documents.
When police questioned him, they found clues that led them to five other people possibly linked to the ISI.
Police are continuing to investigate to keep the country safe.
West Bengal's Special Task Force (STF) arrested Rashidul Haque, Nur Nasiruddin Ali and Shafiqul Islam (also spelled Safikul Islam) from Sahebganj in Cooch Behar late Friday evening ahead of Independence Day.
The trio is accused of operating undercover in India as agents of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Investigators allege the group collected Indian SIM cards and sent them to ISI handlers in Pakistan via Bangladesh, and had links to the smuggling of counterfeit currency notes.
The accused were produced in a court at Dinhata on Saturday and remanded to police custody for 14 days.
The arrests are part of a broader Bengal crackdown on suspected terror links, including the earlier arrest of Pakistani national Rana Rauf alias Wahab Alam, whose questioning led to five alleged ISI-linked individuals.
- Who
- West Bengal Police's Special Task Force (STF) arrested Rashidul Haque, Nur Nasiruddin Ali and Shafiqul Islam (also spelled Safikul Islam).
- What
- The three are accused of espionage linked to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), including sending Indian SIM cards to ISI handlers in Pakistan via Bangladesh and links to counterfeit currency note smuggling.
- Where
- Sahebganj area of Dinahata in Cooch Behar district, north Bengal, near the India-Bangladesh border.
- When
- Late Friday evening ahead of Independence Day; they were produced in court on Saturday and remanded for 14 days.
- Why
- Investigators suspect they were operating undercover as ISI agents in India, as part of broader efforts against cross-border espionage and terror-financing networks.
Key facts
- Agency
- West Bengal Special Task Force (STF)
- Accused
- Rashidul Haque, Nur Nasiruddin Ali, Shafiqul Islam
- Arrest location
- Sahebganj, Dinahata, Cooch Behar, West Bengal
- Arrest timing
- Late Friday evening, ahead of Independence Day
- Court remand
- 14 days police custody, granted Saturday at Dinhata court
- Allegations
- Sending Indian SIM cards to ISI in Pakistan via Bangladesh; links to counterfeit currency smuggling
- Related arrests
- Rana Rauf alias Wahab Alam (Habra); Hamim Mondal; Arpita Sarkar; Aditya Singh alias Raju; Md Izaz
- Discrepancy note
- Reports differ on Hamim Mondal's arrest date (July 30 vs July 31) and on the third suspect's name (Shafiqul Islam vs Safikul Islam)
Quotes
Police source
Unidentified official of the Bengal Special Task Force
“The trio used to collect Indian SIM cards and send those to their handlers in ISI in Pakistan via Bangladesh. These SIMs were then used by anti-Indian forces in Pakistan to make calls and send messages to India.”
telegraphindia.com
“There is also evidence that the trio have links with the smuggling of fake currency notes.”
telegraphindia.com










