Six arrested in Punjab for alleged links to Indian intelligence agency RAW

Hours after the arrest of four alleged operatives of India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) in Karachi, Punjab’s Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) announced the apprehension of six local facilitators of the Indian intelligence agency from different districts in the province.

The arrests were revealed at a joint press conference in Lahore by Punjab Additional Inspector General of Operations Shehzada Sultan and CTD SSP Operations Waqar Azim. They shared details of the coordinated raids that led to the arrests and the recovery of explosives and detonators in Toba Tek Singh.

In Bahawalpur, a RAW facilitator receiving funding via Dubai was captured, while two more individuals were arrested in Bahawalnagar for obtaining improvised explosive devices (IEDs) from India's Border Security Force (BSF).

The CTD uncovered plans to attack a mosque and a railway station in Bahawalpur and intercepted communications involving two senior RAW officers—Major Ravindra Rathore and Inspector Singh—revealing details of the planned attacks. IEDs, safety fuses, and confidential maps were recovered from the suspects.

According to Additional IG Sultan, the arrested individuals were Pakistani nationals working covertly for RAW, funded through Dubai using cryptocurrency and informal banking channels. The officials hailed the arrests as a significant success and mentioned ongoing investigations to dismantle the network further.

In a separate operation in Karachi, four individuals linked to RAW were detained for spying on military and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor sites. The suspects provided sensitive information to Indian contacts, including details of installations and troop deployments.

Explosive materials, weapons, and incriminating items were seized from the suspects, who had crossed the border to India via the sea route. Cases have been registered against them under anti-nationalism laws.

According to the source: The Express Tribune.