Lucknow, May 19 (NationPress) Following the recent capture of Haryana-based YouTuber and travel influencer Jyoti Malhotra on espionage charges, the Uttar Pradesh Police's Special Task Force (STF) has apprehended a businessman from Rampur, accused of engaging in espionage for Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

The suspect, Shahzad, was taken into custody in Moradabad after the STF received credible intelligence regarding his participation in cross-border smuggling and espionage activities supporting Pakistan. Officials report that Shahzad was allegedly relaying sensitive information pertaining to national security to his contacts in Pakistan.

The STF disclosed that Shahzad had traveled to Pakistan multiple times in recent years under the guise of business activities. He was reportedly involved in the smuggling of various items, including cosmetics, clothes, spices, and other goods across the border. However, this illicit trade was merely a cover for his covert missions on behalf of the ISI.

Ongoing investigations revealed that Shahzad not only transmitted strategic data to Pakistani agents but also facilitated their operations within India. According to the STF, he provided Indian SIM cards and funds to ISI operatives in India.

Authorities also uncovered that Shahzad was instrumental in sending individuals from Rampur and surrounding areas in Uttar Pradesh to Pakistan to collaborate with the ISI, with visas arranged by ISI agents.

In light of these findings, an FIR (No. 04/25) has been filed under Sections 148 and 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Police Station ATS, Lucknow.

This arrest follows closely on the heels of another case involving travel influencer Jyoti Malhotra, who was detained by Haryana Police earlier this week, along with five accomplices, for allegedly spying and relaying sensitive information to Pakistani agents. Malhotra, who visited Pakistan twice in 2023, was remanded to police custody for five days after her alleged connection to a spy network spanning Haryana and Punjab came to light.

As per the First Information Report (FIR), Malhotra visited the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi in 2023, where she met Ehsan-ur-Rahim, alias Danish, a staff member of the Pakistani High Commission. She reportedly disclosed sensitive information about Indian locations and military movements while also portraying Pakistan favorably through her social media posts.

Danish was recently declared persona non grata by the Indian government and expelled from the country on May 13. Reports suggest that he introduced Malhotra to several intelligence operatives in Pakistan. Investigators assert that she was romantically involved with one of these operatives and even traveled with him to Bali, Indonesia.

During Danish's tenure in Delhi, Malhotra was allegedly in constant communication with him. She is believed to have met intelligence officers during her visits to Pakistan and provided them with sensitive information regarding Indian military operations.