NIA arrests Kolkata resident for spying for Pakistan intel

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday arrested a Kolkata-based man for allegedly passing confidential security-related information to Pakistan Intelligence Officers (PIOs) as part of an anti-India terror conspiracy, officials said on Wednesday.

The accused, Zafar Riaz alias Rizvi, had a Look Out Circular issued against him, while proceedings were also underway to declare him a Proclaimed Offender (PO), when he was taken into custody, they said.

Riaz was married to a Pakistani national, and his children were Pakistani citizens, a statement issued by the NIA said.

The accused was earlier convicted in an espionage case and had been travelling frequently between India and Pakistan since 2005, it said.

During one such visit, he allegedly came in contact with PIOs, who cultivated him for espionage activities in India in exchange for financial inducements and the promise of Pakistani citizenship, the probe agency said.

To facilitate other espionage and terror operatives, the accused had provided One-Time Passwords (OTPs) of Indian telecom mobile numbers to a PIO to help him activate WhatsApp accounts, it said.

The alleged PIO had used these accounts to secretly communicate with one Motiram Jat, also an accused in the case, the NIA statement said. Jat was also engaged in conveying secret security-related information to the PIO, it said.

The NIA is continuing with its investigation to trace others involved in the espionage racket and to unveil the larger conspiracy behind the plot, the statement added.