In a major counter-intelligence breakthrough, Indian agencies have dismantled an ISI-backed espionage ring that was plotting a terror attack in the national capital. The operation, conducted over three months with meticulous planning and precision, ended with the arrest of two operatives, including Ansarul Miya Ansari, a Pakistani agent believed to be collecting sensitive information on the Indian armed forces, according to sources.
Investigators also suspect involvement of certain staff members from the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi, with particular scrutiny on ISI officers Muzammil and Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish. These officers had reportedly been attempting to infiltrate Indian circles by cultivating YouTubers and social media influencers as part of the broader plot.
Sleuths Outsmart ISI Agent in High-Stakes Espionage Op
The intelligence operation that thwarted a planned ISI-backed terror strike in Delhi began in January with a vague but crucial tip-off: a Pakistani spy was en route to the national capital via Nepal, tasked with gathering sensitive documents, photos, and GPS coordinates linked to Indian military installations.
What started as a shadowy lead soon revealed a more sinister plot, a planned terror attack in Delhi using classified information about the armed forces. Despite the urgency, officials had to bide their time. It wasn’t until mid-February that they made significant progress.
According to sources, the ISI agent, identified as Ansarul Miya Ansari, had entered Delhi and had already collected confidential defence documents. With a carefully laid trap in place, intelligence teams moved swiftly. On February 15, Ansari was intercepted in central Delhi, caught red-handed with sensitive materials as he prepared to return to Pakistan through Nepal.
“This was a textbook counter-espionage mission,” said an intelligence official. “Our teams stayed ahead of the spy at every step, relying on a mix of human intelligence and tactical surveillance.” Officials had already been tracking ISI’s growing footprint in India through proxy outfits like Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), especially after a string of grenade attacks outside police stations in Punjab. These incidents raised red flags about a broader ISI-supported terror network in north-western India, prompting agencies to heighten surveillance and activate sources across the region.
It was this groundwork that unearthed Ansari’s travel plans. Once caught, he was handed over to Delhi Police and charged under the Official Secrets Act for possession and attempted transmission of classified military information to foreign agents.
Further investigation led to the arrest of Akhlaque Azam from Ranchi, who had been providing logistical support to Ansari. Both operatives were reportedly in regular contact with their Pakistani handlers, with conversations riddled with coded language and covert instructions.
Authorities are also probing possible links to Pakistan High Commission officials in Delhi, particularly ISI officers Muzammil and Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, who are believed to have been cultivating Indian influencers to assist in espionage activities.
Unmasking the Spy: ISI’s foiled plot and the radicalisation of Ansarul Ansari
Azam, the second accused in the ISI-linked espionage case, was arrested in March, following the capture of Ansarul Miya Ansari. Analysis of their mobile phones revealed a trove of suspicious communications with Pakistani handlers, suggesting a broader terror conspiracy. Authorities recently filed a chargesheet against both men, even as the investigation continues to trace additional collaborators involved in the network.
But who exactly was Ansari? A deep dive into his background unravelled a disturbing story of indoctrination, deception, and covert recruitment. During his interrogation, Ansari confessed that he hailed from Nepal but had been living and working as a taxi driver in Qatar since 2008. It was in Qatar that he was first approached by an ISI operative, lured initially by money and later indoctrinated into the so-called “bigger cause.” He was sent to Pakistan, where he met his handler in Rawalpindi.
According to a court filing, Ansari spent a month in Pakistan in June 2024, during which he was introduced to senior Pakistani Army officials and subjected to radical propaganda. Discussions around events such as the Babri Masjid demolition and the enactment of CAA/NRC in India were used to deepen his ideological conditioning. He was then trained in espionage techniques and assigned the mission of collecting secret documents in Delhi.
With the trial set to begin soon, both Ansari and Azam are being held in the high-security wing of Tihar Jail. Authorities are maintaining strict surveillance to prevent them from influencing or radicalising other inmates. “We’re on high alert to protect national security. It’s a cat-and-mouse game, but we intend to keep control,” said a senior official on condition of anonymity.
