Jaipur: A drug peddler allegedly working for Pakistan-based handlers and supplying them with Indian SIM cards was arrested in Sriganganagar Saturday, with police now probing whether cross-border drug networks are being used to recruit operatives for espionage and other anti-national activities.SP Hari Shankar said the accused, Balvinder Singh alias Bindu, was operating in the border belt at the behest of operatives based in Pakistan. His arrest has led investigators to examine his contacts and determine who else, if anybody, was involved in procuring and transferring Indian mobile connections across the border.Investigators said they found that besides supplying Indian SIM cards to his Pakistani handlers, Singh was also facilitating the activation of WhatsApp accounts in Pakistan through Indian mobile numbers.The investigation is now focused on establishing where the SIM cards were sourced from, whose identities were used to obtain them and how they were transferred across the border.Police said Singh was actively involved in narcotics trafficking much before his espionage activities came to light, and is wanted in a case registered at Jaitsar police station under the NDPS Act and various provisions of the BNS.“The accused is being questioned about his handlers, SIM-card suppliers and other associates. Further arrests could follow if the investigation establishes the involvement of others,” said a police officer.
