NEW DELHI: A major investigation into an espionage-terror module has revealed a significant shift in recruitment tactics by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), with a growing focus on educated, tech-savvy youth. Delhi Police say operatives linked to Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) were actively recruiting professionals, including MBA graduates, to support terror and espionage activities.
According to sources, BKI operatives Manu Agwan and Maninder Billa have been identified as key handlers of the network. Agwan, believed to be operating across Europe, took charge of several modules after the arrest of another handler last year, and has since been coordinating activities targeting Punjab and now Delhi. Billa, last traced to Malaysia, is said to be working in coordination with Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) factions.
Investigators say the case highlights a clear departure from earlier recruitment patterns that largely targeted marginalised or less-educated individuals. The latest network instead drew in “bright, young minds,” including management graduates and IT-skilled individuals, integrating them into a multi-layered structure alongside labourers, drivers, and farmers.
At the centre of the module was Atul Rathee, an MBA graduate from New Zealand and a resident of Rohini, who allegedly led operations while maintaining a double life. He was assisted by another MBA graduate, Rohit, with both reportedly involved in transporting consignments of foreign-made weapons from Punjab.
A technically skilled member, Manpreet Singh, a BCA graduate, handled communications with overseas handlers, managed ammunition distribution, and arranged SIM cards using fake identities. Other members played varied roles, from logistical support to surveillance—some even installing CCTV cameras at strategic locations to enable remote monitoring.
A second unit of the network focused on narco-terrorism and military espionage. Individuals with cross-border connections allegedly conducted reconnaissance of Indian Army cantonments, while others handled drug money laundering and planned the deployment of solar-powered surveillance systems to track movements of security forces.
Authorities also uncovered the network’s financial and digital sophistication. Funding came from a mix of illegal arms trade and seemingly legitimate channels such as UPI transactions, helping operatives avoid suspicion.
Despite the use of encrypted communication platforms, investigators were able to track digital footprints through sustained forensic efforts, ultimately dismantling the network.
Officials say the case underscores a worrying evolution in terror strategies—one that blends ideological radicalisation with technical expertise, making such networks more adaptive and harder to detect.
