The Delhi Police’s Special Cell has arrested a man identified as Asim for allegedly supplying Indian mobile SIM cards to Pakistani Intelligence Operatives (PIOs), officials said on Thursday. The arrest is part of an ongoing probe into an espionage racket targeting Indian defence and sensitive government infrastructure.
Asim is the brother of Kasim (34), who was arrested earlier for his alleged links with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). According to police sources, Kasim had revealed during interrogation that Asim was already working for Pakistani handlers when he visited the country. The information led investigators to include Asim in the wider investigation.
Asim was produced before the Patiala House Court and remanded to police custody for further questioning.
Kasim, the main accused, had reportedly travelled to Pakistan twice—once in August 2024 and again in March 2025—spending nearly 90 days in total. During these trips, he is said to have established direct contact with ISI officials. According to a senior police officer, Kasim was directed to procure Indian SIM cards and send them across the border to facilitate covert communications.
The case originated in September 2024 after intelligence agencies flagged suspicious use of Indian mobile numbers by foreign handlers to approach and extract sensitive information from Indian citizens. These numbers were reportedly used by PIOs to contact individuals through social media, seeking details related to defence infrastructure and other government facilities.
Police believe both Asim and Kasim were working as part of a larger espionage syndicate aimed at supplying Indian telecom resources to foreign intelligence agencies. The investigation is ongoing, and more arrests may follow as authorities work to dismantle the network.