Punjab Battles Espionage, Drone Threats, Terror Plots

Punjab faces rising espionage, drone threats, and terror plots amid escalating ISI-backed infiltration attempts.

- NEERAJ MOHAN

A series of high-profile spy arrests, drone incursions, and terror-linked recoveries have plunged Punjab into a security overhaul, transforming the border state into a fortified frontier amid rising tensions with Pakistan.

In just two weeks, authorities have uncovered a sprawling espionage network, intercepted armed drones, and unearthed terror caches—all pointing to a coordinated effort allegedly backed by Pakistan's intelligence agency, ISI, to destabilize the region.

The intelligence breach began with the arrest of two Amritsar residents on May 3. Punjab Police apprehended Palak Sher Masih and Suraj Masih in Amritsar for allegedly sharing strategic information about Army cantonments and air bases with Pakistan-based handlers.

In a startling revelation, on May 11, a deeper network with alleged links to an official at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi was busted.

Two suspects, Guzala and Yameen Mohamad from Sangrur's Malerkotla, were arrested for allegedly passing on classified Army movement data, with authorities recovering mobile phones and digital payment trails leading back to Pakistan.

Recently, during a joint operation, Punjab and Gujarat police arrested a suspected spy allegedly working for ISI from Jalandhar. The accused, Mohammad Murtaza Ali, was apprehended during a raid in Jalandhar's Bhargav Camp area.

These arrests were not isolated. On May 6, the State Special Operation Cell (SSOC), along with a central agency, uncovered a cache of terrorist hardware—including RDX and firearms—in the forested belt near Tibba Nangal-Kular Road in SBS Nagar, hinting at a larger ISI-backed terror plot.