Ghaziabad Police in Uttar Pradesh have arrested nine people, including five minors, for allegedly assisting a foreign-linked spying network by secretly filming sensitive locations such as military camps and railway stations.
Police said they received intelligence that a group in Kaushambi area of Ghaziabad district was recording visuals from key sites and sharing them with foreign individuals. Following a search operation on March 15, six people, including a woman, were initially taken into custody.
During questioning, investigators found indications of more people being connected to the operation, prompting the formation of a Special Intelligence Team. With technical support, suspects’ mobile phones were placed under close surveillance, leading to the arrest of five more—Ganesh (20) from Gulmi district in Nepal, Vivek (18) from Purnia in Bihar, Gagan Kumar Prajapati (22) from Meerut, Durgesh Nishad (26) from Jaunpur, and five minors.
Additional Police Commissioner Raj Karan Nair said the alleged key coordinator, Suhail Malik, had already been arrested, and further action followed based on his inputs. Police are searching for two main accused—Naushad Ali from Bihar and Sameer from Bahalpur.
Investigators allege the group installed solar-powered hidden CCTV cameras at locations including Delhi Cantonment and Sonipat railway station in Haryana, and transmitted live footage through a dedicated mobile app to coordinators abroad. Police said the network planned to expand surveillance to more than 50 locations and used unused SIM cards from family members to operate WhatsApp accounts, while keeping financial transactions covert. The search for additional suspects is continuing across the state.
