A suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) associate, Hamim Mondal, arrested last week from Burdwan in West Burdwan district, West Bengal, was running a honey-trapping operation that targeted politically and socially influential figures in the state — recruiting aspiring models and social media influencers as bait, according to investigators. The case has drawn in the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Special Task Force (STF) of West Bengal Police.

How the Honey-Trap Network Operated

According to investigating officers, Mondal's method was deliberate: he identified new and upcoming models, as well as female social media influencers who regularly posted reels, as entry points into influential circles. His first known recruit was Arpita Sarkar, a social media influencer arrested last week from Sahibganj in neighbouring Jharkhand.

Mondal's role, as per his confessions during interrogation, was confined to the initial stage — establishing contact between targets and the handlers. Once contact was made, the Shahzad Bhatti Network (SBN), a Pakistan-based terrorist-criminal group, would take over independently, bypassing Mondal entirely. This structure, investigators note, was designed to insulate the Pakistan-based handlers from direct exposure.

Pakistan-Linked SBN Gave the Assignment

Sources said the task of recruiting attractive young women was assigned to Mondal by the Shahzad Bhatti Network (SBN). The SBN handlers, operating out of Pakistan, subsequently contacted targets on their own — a pattern confirmed in the case of Arpita Sarkar, who was reportedly contacted directly by the SBN after Mondal made the initial introduction.

A second aide of Mondal, Aditya Singh, has also been arrested by the STF. The NIA interrogated Mondal and Sarkar on Monday, and was expected to interrogate Singh thereafter. Sources indicated that all three may be questioned together to prevent contradictions in their statements.

Cabinet Members' Families Among Those Targeted

The scope of the operation has alarmed investigators. According to STF officials, the SBN — through Arpita Sarkar — targeted family members of at least six sitting members of the West Bengal cabinet. Beyond ministerial families, other influential persons within the state's administrative machinery were also reportedly targeted through Sarkar.

Notably, investigators are also trying to identify other women who may have been trapped but have not come forward, reportedly out of fear of social stigma and loss of prestige.

STF and NIA Widen the Probe

The STF is now working to establish the full network of women recruited by Mondal beyond Sarkar. The investigation has so far revealed a layered operation: local recruitment by Mondal, independent handler contact by SBN, and honey-trapping of high-value political and administrative targets in West Bengal.

The NIA's involvement signals that the Centre views this as a national security matter rather than a routine criminal case. As the probe deepens, investigators are expected to map the full extent of SBN's reach within West Bengal's political and bureaucratic circles.