India has launched a major crackdown on a suspected Pakistan-linked spy network in the northern states, arresting at least 12 people over the past two weeks. Among those held is a well-known YouTuber, Jyoti Malhotra.
The arrests were made across the northern states of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. This comes amid growing security concerns following the Pahalgam terror attack by Islamabad-backed terrorists, and India’s response through Operation Sindoor, which targeted terror hubs at nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
According to a report from Times of India, two women, Haryana-based influencer Jyoti Malhotra and 31-year-old Guzala from Punjab, were in contact with a Pakistani intelligence officer named Ehsan-ur-Rahim, also known as Danish, who was posted at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi. India expelled Rehman on 13 May over allegations of spying.
Among the first to be arrested were Falaksher Masih and Suraj Masih from Amritsar, taken into custody on 4 May for allegedly sending photographs and information about army cantonments and airbases near the Pakistan border to ISI agents.
Arrests from Malerkotla, Gurdaspur, Panipat
More arrests followed on 11 May, including Yameen Mohammad from Malerkotla, who was reportedly paid through UPI transfers for sharing sensitive military information.
On 13 May, two more men, Sukhpreet Singh and Karanbir Singh from Gurdaspur, were detained. They were accused of leaking details about troop movements during Operation Sindoor and sharing information on strategic locations in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir. Weapons and electronic devices were also seized during the arrests.
