A Pakistani ISI-backed espionage network uncovered by the Ghaziabad Police had quietly mapped sensitive locations in Mumbai, including naval installations and airport areas, while working to stream live surveillance footage to handlers across the border.
The investigation points to a much wider footprint than initially believed. What began as a localised probe in Ghaziabad has now revealed a multi-state network operating across Delhi, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, and Maharashtra, with security agencies racing to assess how much critical data may already have been compromised.
How the module operated across cities
According to investigators, the module’s key operative, Suhail Malik, led the network while posing as a daily wage worker at a bakery. He was actually on the ISI’s payroll, said an investigating official.
Malik had earlier lived in Pune, where he passed on details of sensitive locations in both Pune and Mumbai. He later shifted to Ghaziabad and continued coordinating espionage activities, eventually heading the module that police have now dismantled.
Officials said the group installed solar-powered CCTV cameras at crowded locations, including railway stations, to monitor movement and gather real-time inputs. Malik reportedly spent five years in Mumbai between 2020 and 2025, conducting reconnaissance and sharing intelligence with handlers.
Focus on railways and security movement
An official said that the targets of this module were largely Army cantonment areas, railway stations and the movement of the security personnel. The official added that the probe suggests that these persons were focusing heavily on the Indian Railways.
Investigators clarified that the network’s role was limited to surveillance and intelligence gathering. Plans to carry out attacks were being handled separately, with another module allegedly in the works to target railway hubs and cantonment zones.
CCTV network built over years, not overnight
Security officials believe the surveillance network was not set up in haste. It has been in the works for many years, IANS mentioned an official as saying, adding that agencies are now analysing the scale of information shared.
The network operated at minimal cost, allowing the ISI to potentially plan coordinated strikes over time. Officials said dismantling the module may have prevented a major security threat.
Malik was reportedly paid Rs 8,000 for installing each CCTV camera and had set up multiple units across locations. The discovery has prompted a wider review of surveillance infrastructure.
Maharashtra orders audit, tightens CCTV rules
In response, the Maharashtra government has initiated an audit of CCTV systems. Procurement of cameras linked to Chinese companies has been paused, and civic bodies such as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority will now require police clearance before installing surveillance equipment.
An Intelligence Bureau official said that the module had a wide reach and had managed to procure sensitive information from many states. The police personnel of these respective states would need to coordinate and gather as much information as possible. Officials said this was not just a standalone module collecting bits of information.
They added that agencies are now trying to understand how the data was actually used and whether it fed into any larger operational plans.
(With IANS inputs)