Police nab 'ISI agent' with RDX

By Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar

NEW DELHI, DEC. 6. The Delhi police today announced the arrest of an agent of the Inter-Services Intelligence network of Pakistan who had been spying in India for the past six years. According to the police, he was found in possession of 10 kg of high-explosive RDX, two AB timers, two electronic detonators and some documents at the time of his arrest at Badarpur in South Delhi.

Delhi's Police Commissioner, Mr Ajai Raj Sharma, said information was received from Military Intelligence about an ISI agent having set up base at Badarpur. A team was set up to probe the case.

The team found that a room had been taken on rent by a 45-year- old suspicious-looking man in Badarpur. As the man, Khalid Mahmood, was not in town, a watch was kept on the hide-out. Finally at about 8-30 p.m. on Tuesday he was caught while returning home.

The RDX consignment was recovered from his possession and a case under the Explosive Substances Act, Foreigners Act and of waging war against the State was registered. Khalid purportedly disclosed that he had been given the consignment by some persons near Neelam Cinema at Faridabad near Delhi for safe custody till further disposal.

Khalid's interrogation revealed that he was a resident of Lahore and had illegally entered India in 1994 through the Nepal border. In Pakistan he was allegedly involved in drug trafficking and arms dealing. He was apparently picked up by ISI in Bahawalpur and motivated to work for it.

After undergoing training at Bahawalpur in recruitment of ``sources'' and methods of obtaining information, Khalid was purportedly directed by his handlers to obtain information on the railway network, security installations and road networks in Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat. He was also told to gather information on petrol depots, ration depots, power stations and bridges, especially the Indira Gandhi Canal.

He was also supposed to get details on Army ammunition depots, Army goods trains, Army units' movements, movements of convoys, areas where military exercises were conducted, deployment of units in tactical position, and types of equipment and transport used.

Khalid would project himself as a resident of Lucknow and used the cover of a music teacher to further his work as he had knowledge of both vocal and instrumental music. He first set up base in Bhatinda, and then in Jalandhar.

Interestingly, Khalid's communications used to be through letters which ostensibly carried innocuous information but had sensitive matter written in with a special ink which became readable only when the paper was exposed to ultraviolet light.

In 1999, he set up base in Delhi. Initially he stayed at Rohini before moving to Badarpur. In October this year he again went to Bhatinda and Jalandhar to ascertain Army movements. It was in Bhatinda that he was told he had to receive the RDX consignment for safekeeping.

The police have obtained nine days' remand for Khalid from court.

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