Daijiworld Media Network - Kolkata
Kolkata, Aug 12: Pakistani national Wahab Alam, arrested in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, was allegedly sent by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to gather information about the Indian Army, Navy and Railways in the country's eastern region, police sources said.
Alam was arrested from the Habra area of North 24 Parganas.
According to state police sources, during prolonged interrogation by the Special Task Force (STF), Alam allegedly admitted that he entered India through the India-Nepal border in 2012 and had since been living in different parts of West Bengal, frequently changing his locations.
Following his arrest, STF personnel seized forged Indian identity documents from him, including an Aadhaar card, PAN card and EPIC card.
Investigators learnt that Alam allegedly obtained the forged documents through another person, identified as Muhammad Izaz, who was subsequently arrested by the STF from Topsia in East Kolkata following information provided during Alam's interrogation.
Police sources said Alam had earlier been staying at Izaz's residence in Topsia before shifting to Habra.
According to information gathered by the STF, Alam left Topsia soon after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise began in West Bengal earlier this year, ahead of the recently concluded Assembly polls.
Investigators suspect Alam may have been planning to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh and therefore shifted to Habra, which is relatively close to the India-Bangladesh border.
The STF is currently interrogating Alam and Izaz to identify their other associates in West Bengal.
Investigators are also probing what information Alam may have already allegedly transmitted to his handlers in Pakistan.
Reacting to the arrest, state Municipal Affairs and Urban Development Minister Agnimitra Paul urged people to remain vigilant.
“My appeal to people is to be alert. If any suspicious persons or any suspicious activity is detected in your locality, kindly contact the local police station immediately,” she said.
The investigation is continuing to establish the alleged espionage network and determine the extent of information that may have been passed to Pakistan.