Delhi Police has arrested a Nepali national, identified as Prabhat Kumar Chaurasiya (43), for allegedly supplying Indian SIM cards to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in an espionage-linked operation. Chaurasiya, a native of Birganj, Nepal, was apprehended from Laxmi Nagar in East Delhi on August 28, 2025, following a tip-off provided through confidential intelligence networks.

The accused had been lured into cooperating with ISI operatives after being promised assistance in obtaining a US visa and career opportunities in journalism abroad. According to law enforcement officials, this lure appears to have been a crucial factor in Chaurasiya’s recruitment, taking advantage of his financial distress and professional frustrations.

Investigations have revealed that Chaurasiya procured at least 16 Indian SIM cards using Aadhaar credentials, a violation of Indian telecom regulations, and smuggled these SIM cards through Nepal. From there, they were pushed forward into Pakistan, eventually reaching ISI operatives.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Amit Kaushik confirmed that out of the 16 SIMs acquired in this fraudulent manner, 11 were actively used on messaging platforms such as WhatsApp from locations including Lahore, Bahawalpur, and other Pakistani cities.

These SIM cards, issued in India, were subsequently misused by ISI handlers to establish contacts with Indian Army personnel and to facilitate espionage operations targeting sensitive defence establishments, including DRDO facilities and Army units. This modus operandi highlights the growing importance of exploiting open telecom networks and cross-border vulnerabilities for intelligence gains.

During the arrest, police recovered digital devices, incriminating material, and several SIM card envelopes, which provided further evidence of the espionage-redirection effort. Delhi Police officials stated that the arrest stemmed from surveillance mounted in Laxmi Nagar based on credible intelligence inputs regarding the misuse of Indian phone numbers by Pakistan-based handlers.

Upon interrogation, Chaurasiya disclosed that his involvement began after he encountered ISI operatives in 2024 through an intermediary in Kathmandu. He had been struggling financially following the collapse of a logistics company he had established in Kathmandu in 2017.

This failure, coupled with his prior attempts at corporate employment as a medical representative and area sales manager in the pharmaceutical sector in Maharashtra and Delhi, left him desperate for overseas opportunities. His background also included a BSc degree in Information Technology along with a diploma in computer hardware and networking, skill sets that police indicate may have encouraged ISI to recruit him for technical support-related espionage tasks in addition to procuring SIM connections.

Police sources emphasised that Chaurasiya’s role was not limited to supplying SIM cards. He had also agreed to make attempts to collect classified or sensitive information on Indian defence establishments. The case has been formally registered under sections 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) and 152 (acts endangering sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Special Cell Police Station

Law enforcement agencies are now engaged in efforts to identify his possible associates in India and Nepal and to map out the courier and smuggling network used to move the SIM cards across the border. Investigators are also working to ascertain the exact identities and linkages of the ISI handlers involved in the operation.

Officials have labelled the case as a worrying instance of how Pakistan’s intelligence operatives are exploiting cross-border linkages, vulnerable professionals, and loopholes in telecom identity-verification systems to conduct espionage. Authorities believe that SIM-based espionage provides ISI with plausible deniability while giving them direct channels to infiltrate Indian security and defence personnel through social media platforms.

The Special Cell is continuing its investigation with a focus on dismantling the regional network behind this operation and is coordinating with central intelligence agencies to ensure a comprehensive security response. This case highlights how seemingly minor acts like fraudulent procurement of SIM cards can have critical national security implications when exploited by hostile spy agencies.

Based On PTI Report