Arrested ISI agent had lured more youths into network

LUCK NOW: Suspected Inter Service Intelligence (ISI) agent Aftab Ali, who was arrested from Faizabad on Wednesday, had reportedly roped in some more youths into the spying network, using the same trick through which he was inducted into it. The UP Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) officials said Ali was spying for the ISI for the past three years after being lured into its network by some officials of the Pakistan high commission.

A senior ATS official said Ali landed into the ISI network after the Pakistan high commission thrice rejected his visa. The ISI operatives secretly kept watch on him and cashed in on his desperateness to visit Pakistan, by asking him to click some photographs of Faizabad Cantonment area in lieu of visa clearance.

Ali got money too and gradually became deeply involved into spying after coming in touch with some senior officials of Pakistan high commission. The commission officials allowed him to work as agent to clear visas to Pakistan for other people. This helped the ISI induct more youths into its network, he explained. He said another Faizabad youth Imran, who was detained for quizzing and was later released on Thursday, was also in Ali’s touch for the same reason. He said the visa of Imran’s mother was also got cleared by Ali in return for ₹12,000. Similarly, Ali’s recommendation helped clear the visas of over 100 people in the past two years, he said. Ali will be questioned after taking his police custody remand from Saturday morning. A city court had allowed his nine days police custody remand on Friday, he added. He will be asked about those whose visas he helped clear.