GHAZIABAD: Drawn in through social media, lured by the promise of quick cash and chosen for their hardship more than their skill, a string of young men from UP, Bihar and even Nepal allegedly became foot soldiers in a cross-border espionage network.They were asked to click pictures of railway stations, cantonment areas and other public places, pin exact locations and share the material with a Pakistani number, with payments routed through hawala, local shops and middlemen.The man coordinating for handlers in Pakistan has been identified as Sardar Jora, who allegedly targeted people with weak finances and little education. “He would first strike up a conversation on social media, understand their family and monetary problems, and then offer easy work for quick payment,” a senior officer said.Sohail Malik, one of the key accused, told police he met Jora online. In 2024, he was working at a dhaba in Pune along with Raj Valmiki — both earning about Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 a month — when Jora first offered money for photos of Indian locations. He then began asking for precise locations as well.“At first, Sohail was paid Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 for each photo. Once he realised the money came easily and in larger amounts, he quit his dhaba job in 2025. He then brought Raj into the network,” the officer said.According to police, Naushad Ali, Sohail and Sameer were central to expanding the module, pulling in relatives, friends and other people in need of money. A WhatsApp group created by Jora had more than 20 members, the cops said.Among those recruited later was Gagan Kumar Prajapati (22) from Meerut, who had studied up to intermediate level. Police said he, too, was approached online, shared details of his family’s financial distress, and was then assigned to send pictures and locations from places in Delhi. Ganesh Giri (20), a Nepal native living in Meerut, and Vivek Rai (18), from Bihar and living in Bhowapura, had both worked as labourers before joining the gang, police said.Sane Iram (25), alias Mehak, from Sambhal, had allegedly been in the network for over a year and a half and was in direct touch with Jora and another operative. Police said she passed on instructions received from above.Durgesh Nishad (26), a Jaunpur resident working as a truck driver in Mumbai, was arrested for allegedly acting as a conduit for funds. Police examining the bank accounts of six accused arrested on March 14 said they found enough evidence of foreign funding, which led them to him.Additional CP Raj Karan Nayyar said the accused filmed “sensitive” sites, shared photographs, videos and GPS coordinates, and in some cases installed solar-powered SIM-based CCTV cameras at Delhi Cantt and Sonipat railway stations. “They were paid roughly Rs 5,000 to Rs 15,000 per task,” an officer said.
