Punjab Police have uncovered a suspected espionage network in Punjab and arrested a man accused of sharing sensitive information related to the movement of the Indian Army and paramilitary forces with handlers based in Pakistan.
The accused, identified as Baljit Singh alias Bittu, a resident of Chakk Dhariwal village in Pathankot district, allegedly installed an internet-based CCTV camera at a shop near a bridge on the Pathankot-Jammu stretch of National Highway-44 to monitor troop and vehicle movement.
According to senior police officer Daljinder Singh Dhillon, the surveillance feed was electronically transmitted to Pakistan-based operatives and foreign handlers.
During interrogation, Baljit Singh reportedly confessed to installing the camera near Sujanpur in January 2026 after receiving instructions from an unidentified contact based in Dubai. Police said he allegedly received ₹40,000 for the operation.
Authorities recovered the CCTV camera along with an internet WiFi router from his possession.
Following intelligence inputs regarding suspicious surveillance activity on the strategic highway corridor, Sujanpur Police registered a case against four accused — Baljit Singh alias Bittu, Vikramjit Singh alias Vikka, Balwinder Singh alias Vicky, and Taranpreet Singh alias Tannu.
Police officials stated that investigations are underway to trace cross-border linkages, identify funding sources, and uncover the wider espionage network. Raids are currently being conducted to arrest the remaining accused.
The latest arrest comes amid a series of counter-intelligence operations in Punjab targeting suspected Pakistan-backed spy modules.
Last month, Punjab Police reportedly dismantled two espionage networks allegedly linked to Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), involving the use of Chinese-made solar-powered CCTV cameras equipped with 4G connectivity to monitor sensitive military installations.
Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav had earlier stated that such cameras were strategically deployed near defence-related locations and transmitted live footage to handlers in Pakistan through mobile applications.
Officials said the ongoing investigation is examining possible connections between the recently uncovered Pathankot module and earlier espionage cases linked to surveillance near military establishments in Punjab.
