Three individuals were detained by the Special Task Force (STF) of the Odisha Police on Sunday in the districts of Nayagarh and Jajpur on suspicion of purchasing pre-activated SIM cards and reportedly communicating one-time passwords (OTP) with Pakistani intelligence agents.
According to STF sources, they have been identified as Pathanisamant Lenka, 35, a teacher at an ITI, Saroj Kumar Nayak, 26, and Soumya Pattanaik, 19, respectively. The three were buying a large number of SIM cards fraudulently under other people’s names, selling the OTPs that were linked to or generated using the SIMs to a variety of customers, including some Pakistani intelligence operatives (PIO) and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agents in Pakistan and India. They would receive payment from a few Pakistani agents headquartered in return in India
“The OTPs given by these people were utilized to open a variety of accounts and channels on social networking sites and online retail websites. Additionally, they are required to open email accounts. People would believe that an Indian runs these accounts since cellphone numbers from India are being utilized for such activities, but they are actually being run from Pakistan, according to a top STF official.
According to the statement, these social media platforms will be utilized for a variety of anti-Indian operations, including sextortion, honey trapping, radicalization, propaganda distribution, connection with terrorists, and radicalization. People believe these accounts since they are registered to or linked to Indian cellphone phones. The accounts created on internet marketplaces are also used to send goods to terrorists and groups hostile to India.
One of the detained people, according to STF sources, was also in contact with a Patna-based female PIO agent who was detained in Rajasthan last year in connection with a honeytrap case under the Official Secrets Act.
Additionally, the STF took from their hands 19 pricey mobile phones, 47 pre-activated SIM cards and covers, 61 ATM cards, and computers. With regard to exchanging OTPs and other information with foreign nationals, the accused was unable to provide a reasonable explanation.
