Espionage sase: Delhi Police arrests brother of man who supplied SIM cards to Pak intelligence operatives

New Delhi: The Delhi Police has arrested a man for allegedly aiding Pakistani intelligence operatives (PIOs) by supplying Indian mobile SIM cards for espionage activities, an official said on Saturday. The accused, identified as Asim, is the brother of Kasim (34) who was held earlier for aiding PIOs by supplying Indian mobile SIM cards that were used to gather intelligence on the Indian Army and other sensitive government establishments, he said. According to police sources, Asim's name came up during Kasim's interrogation where he disclosed that when he had travelled to Pakistan, he was told by handlers there that his brother already works for them and he should do so too. This prompted investigators to include Asim into the ongoing investigation.

The Delhi Police's Special Cell arrested him and produced him before Patiala House Court. He has was sent to police custody for further interrogation, sources said. Kasim, the main accused, had travelled to Pakistan twice -- first in August 2024 and again in March 2025 -- and stayed there for nearly 90 days. During his visits, he allegedly met officials of Pakistan's intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), a senior police officer said. The case dates back to September 2024, when intelligence inputs were received about Indian mobile numbers being misused by foreign handlers to extract sensitive information. These SIM cards, allegedly procured in India, were sent across the border and used by Pakistani operatives to contact Indian citizens via social media, the officer added. "Using these numbers, PIOs engaged unsuspecting Indians and attempted to extract classified information related to defence infrastructure and government installations," the official said. Following the intelligence input, a case was registered and Kasim's name surfaced during technical and human surveillance. His travel history and suspected links with ISI officials placed him under the scanner. Police believe the arrested brothers are part of a larger espionage syndicate working to supply Indian telecom resources to foreign intelligence agencies.