The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday arrested a Kolkata-based man for allegedly passing confidential security-related information to Pakistan Intelligence Officers (PIOs) as part of an anti-India espionage network.
Sharing details of the arrest on X, the official NIA India account said, “A Pak-backed spy, Zafar Riaz @ Rizvi of Kolkata, has been arrested in an espionage racket, in which he was engaged in clandestinely passing confidential security-related information to Pakistan Intelligence Officers (PIOs) as part of an anti-India terror conspiracy.”
According to the agency, the accused has been booked under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Official Secrets Act, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UA(P)A].
“A Look Out Circular was issued against him and proceedings were also under way to declare him a Proclaimed Offender (PO) when he was taken into custody,” the NIA said in a press release.
During the course of the investigation, the agency found that the accused was married to a Pakistani national and had frequently travelled between India and Pakistan since 2005.
“During one such visit, he was contacted and cultivated by PIOs to carry out espionage activities in India in lieu of financial inducements and the promise of Pakistani citizenship,” the release added.
According to the NIA, the accused allegedly played a key role in facilitating espionage operations by sharing One-Time Passwords (OTPs) linked to Indian telecom mobile numbers with a PIO for activating WhatsApp accounts.
The agency alleged that these WhatsApp accounts were subsequently used by the PIO to maintain covert communication with Motiram Jat, another accused in the case, who was allegedly involved in passing sensitive security-related information.
The NIA said investigations are continuing to identify other individuals linked to the espionage racket and uncover the larger conspiracy behind the operation.
The arrest comes amid intensified crackdowns by the agency across several states, including West Bengal, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, to dismantle alleged cross-border intelligence networks.
