New Delhi: Investigating agencies are probing a vast network based out of Dubai, which is said to be fuelling the Khalistan movement in India. The ISI-backed Dubai module is said to be facilitating both surveillance activities as well as recruitments mainly in Punjab, aimed at promoting the Khalistan movement.
The Punjab police recently arrested three persons who were providing live feed to both Dubai and Pakistan-based handlers.
Close Circuit Television Cameras (CCTs) had been installed in Ludhiana in Punjab. Live feed of sensitive locations and the people in the area was being fed to ISI-backed handlers, investigations showed.
An Intelligence Bureau official said that this module from Dubai is very similar to the one that Shehzad Bhatti was running. Both these modules focus on gathering live information relating to sensitive locations and also carrying out recruitment activities.
The official said that the ISI has been moving operations to Dubai in recent months. The spy agency is doing everything to ensure that no trail leads up to Pakistan.
An official said that increasingly, the ISI would look to shift all its operations out of Pakistan. The latest findings by the investigation agencies clearly suggests that even Khalistan linked activity would be carried out from outside of Pakistan.
Earlier, Khalistan linked activity was largely being promoted from Canada. However with the Canadian authorities cracking down on these elements, the ISI has decided to shift operations to Dubai.
Another official said that the Khalistani groups are increasingly using Wi-Fi enabled surveillance cameras in Punjab to gather as much information as possible.
The recruits have been told to take spaces on rent near sensitive locations and install surveillance cameras. All the instructions relating to the setting up of the cameras have come from the Dubai module, the official said.
Officials say that the Khalistani groups are desperate to step up operations in Punjab. This is a turning phase in the movement and one can expect heightens activity in the months to come.
The Khalistani groups are also pushing in drugs in large numbers into Punjab so that the proceeds can be used to fund the movement. The ISI has asked these groups to spend as much as possible on recruitments.
Officials say that with such ambitious plans on the anvil, the ISI is looking to set up many more such modules abroad, where the heat on the Khalistani groups is less.
This strategy gives such modules freedom to operate without coming under the radar of the agencies.
Further, the setting up of such modules abroad also eliminates the trail that leads up to Pakistan, officials point out.
The Punjab police is closely looking into the links between the state based operatives and those running the Dubai module. Police officials say that the person running the module in Dubai is from Punjab.
His links with the local operatives is under the scanner and cracking this is important to ensure that leaking of sensitive information and recruitments are under check.
The most recent arrest of one Rashpal Singh by the Punjab police blew the lid of the ISI’s strategy. It was found that he had installed Wi-Fi enabled surveillance cameras around six kms away from the Baddowal Cantonment.
He had been both collecting and transmitting sensitive information to his handlers on the instructions of his handler based out of Dubai. Singh was also told to look for youth and recruit them for undertaking similar activity in other parts of Punjab.
Such information was being gathered so that the ISI could launch the Khalistani terrorists to undertake a major attack in Punjab, preferably in around sensitive locations, an official said.
(IANS)
