Joint Bihar-Andhra police operation busts a cross-border espionage link on the Indo-Nepal border; accused taken to Vijayawada on transit remand
Raxaul, October 28: A joint team of Bihar and Andhra Pradesh police has arrested two young men in the Indo-Nepal border town of Raxaul. They are accused of helping Pakistani intelligence operatives activate Indian WhatsApp accounts in exchange for money.
The accused have been identified as Aditya Pandey, 23, of Naga Road in Raxaul, East Champaran, and Raja Kumar, 24, a native of Harlakhi in Madhubani district who lives in Noniyadih, Raxaul.
According to police, the pair obtained Indian mobile numbers and passed the one-time passwords (OTPs) generated on them directly to handlers across the border. This allowed the operatives to set up and run WhatsApp accounts remotely while posing as genuine Indian users. Police said these accounts were then used for espionage and anti-India activities that threatened national security.
The investigation began with a case registered in Andhra Pradesh. A team from Vijayawada reached Raxaul on October 25 after tracing digital footprints to suspects in the local market. Raids were carried out across several locations under the leadership of SDPO Manish Anand and SHO Ramesh Kumar Mahto.
Police seized two mobile phones from the accused. A preliminary forensic check reportedly found records of sensitive communication with Pakistani operatives and money transfers received in return.
Both men have been taken to Vijayawada on transit remand. Investigators will try to uncover wider links, both within India and abroad.
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