The West Bengal Special Task Force has arrested a suspected Pakistani national accused of running an espionage operation in India and collecting sensitive information concerning the Army, Border Security Force and railway infrastructure.
The accused has been identified as Rana Rauf, a resident of Faisalabad, Pakistan. Investigators suspect that Rauf was directly recruited by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and had been operating in India using forged Indian identity documents.
According to investigators, Rauf had been living in Nepal since 2012 before allegedly entering India illegally through the border. After reaching West Bengal, he is believed to have attempted to establish a permanent identity in Kolkata.
Police sources said he used the alias ‘Wahf’ and obtained fake Indian documents showing a fictitious address in Topsia. The forged documents have since been seized by the authorities.
Investigators suspect that Rauf’s alleged assignment was to gather information about the Army’s Eastern Command in Kolkata, BSF movements and railway infrastructure and operations.
The probe is also examining whether he attempted to recruit Indian nationals based in Nepal into the alleged espionage network.
The STF has detained another person suspected of being associated with Rauf. Investigators are now trying to establish the individual’s precise role and determine whether more people were involved in the network.
According to sources cited in the investigation, Rauf was allegedly reporting directly to handlers linked to the ISI. Authorities are also examining his movements between Nepal and India, as well as his plans to leave the country.
Investigators believe Rauf was preparing to travel to Pakistan via Bangladesh, adding another dimension to the probe into his cross-border movements. The arrest comes just days ahead of Independence Day, when security agencies traditionally intensify surveillance and intelligence operations across the country.
The investigation is now focused on identifying the alleged handlers behind Rauf, tracing the information he may have collected and determining whether the suspected espionage network extends beyond West Bengal.
The allegations against Rauf are part of an ongoing investigation, and the full extent of the alleged intelligence operation is yet to be established.
