Pak claims arrest of 3 more ‘spies’ on RAW payroll in PoK
15 Apr 2017
Amid the row over the death sentence awarded to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav by a Pakistan military court on charges of spying, the law enforcement authorities in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), known as Azad Kashmir in the neighbouring country, claims to have arrested three Indian intelligence agents on Friday for alleged anti-state activities.
Pakistani daily The Dawn reported that the charges levelled against the three ''Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) recruits'' included bombing a police station in the region.
PoK police identified the suspects as Mohammad Khalil, Imtiaz and Rashid, all residents of Taroti village in Abbaspur. The trio was produced before mediapersons at a briefing by senior police officers in Rawalkot, their faces covered with masks.
Poonch deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Sajid Imran was quoted as saying that Khalil, the main suspect, had come in contact with RAW officials while visiting his relatives at Bandi Chechian village in India-held Kashmir in November 2014. Upon his return, Khalil allegedly recruited fellow villagers Imtiaz and Rashid to work with him for ''handsome returns''.
According to Imran, Khalil confessed to crossing the LoC nearly 15 times over the last two years. His accomplices admitted to going over to the other side on at least six occasions.
''Khalil would take cigarettes and cellphone memory cards with him, besides pictures of bridges, mosques and security installations,'' the DSP said, adding that the suspect had given at least two active SIM cards to Indian officials.
Upon his return, Khalil used to bring money as well as Indian liquor that would then be sold to people in the area.
Imran claimed that Khalil was tasked by RAW with carrying out a bomb blast at any Pakistani security installation, for which they offered him Rs5 lakh. Imtiaz and Rashid were supposed to get Rs1.5 lakh and Rs50,000 from that amount respectively, Imran climed.