Kolkata: The Special Task Force (STF) of the West Bengal Police has arrested two men from the Pingla area of Paschim Medinipur district for allegedly spying for Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The accused are suspected of supplying Indian SIM cards and OTPs to Pakistani handlers to activate WhatsApp accounts used for espionage activities.
#WATCH | West Medinipur, West Bengal: Regarding the arrest of two people for alleged spying links in West Medinipur district, SP Papiya Sultana says, "2 people have been arrested based on information we got… Many SIMs were found with them, and some connections and… pic.twitter.com/sIYqHBgsWc
— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2026
The arrested individuals have been identified as Sheikh Mursalin of Kshirai Panchayat under Pingla police station and Goutam Khara of Surjchak in the same area. According to investigators, the duo was involved in selling and activating SIM cards, mainly in minority-dominated localities. Police sources said Mursalin allegedly shared Indian SIM numbers with contacts in Pakistan and later forwarded OTPs received on those numbers to help activate WhatsApp accounts. In return, he reportedly earned between Rs 3,000 and Rs 5,000 for each OTP. The two are also accused of sharing sensitive information and images with Pakistani contacts through WhatsApp in exchange for money.
Locals claimed that Mursalin and Gautam had been selling SIM cards door-to-door in the area for several years, often using an e-rickshaw owned by Gautam. They allegedly targeted Muslim-majority areas and, in many cases, sold SIM cards without proper documentation.
Investigators suspect the pair helped activate nearly 400 SIM cards over the past three years. Multiple mobile phones and a large number of pre-activated SIM cards were recovered during the operation. Police also found evidence of communication with foreign numbers, including suspected links to Pakistan.
West Midnapore Superintendent of Police Papia Sultana confirmed the arrests, stating that several SIM cards and suspicious foreign communications were recovered from the accused, leading to their arrest. The arrests were made on the evening of May 26 after the STF registered a case against the duo. They were produced before the Bidhannagar Court in Kolkata on Wednesday, which remanded them to 14 days of police custody for further investigation. The accused have been booked under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Telegraph Act, and the Foreigners Act.
The case comes at a time of heightened security concerns over cross-border espionage networks operating through mobile numbers and digital platforms. Investigators are probing whether the two were linked to a larger racket and are also examining their travel records.
According to sources, Mursalin had travelled to Thailand multiple times, allegedly with expenses funded by Pakistani handlers. Officials are now scrutinising his travel documents to determine whether he has also visited Pakistan.
