Espionage Network Busted: Solar-Powered CCTV Grid Used to Spy on Indian Army Movements: A major espionage operation with alleged links to Pakistan has been dismantled, exposing a sophisticated surveillance network that used solar-powered CCTV cameras to monitor Indian Army movements in real time across northern India, officials said.
According to investigators, the covert network spanned multiple sensitive locations in states including Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, and Rajasthan-areas strategically significant due to military presence, border proximity, and key troop movement routes.
Authorities revealed that the cameras were deliberately installed near Army cantonments, highways, and border-linked infrastructure. These devices, equipped with SIM cards obtained using fake identities, transmitted live footage directly to handlers across the border via mobile applications.
"This allowed operatives sitting outside India to observe troop movements as they happened," a senior police official said, highlighting the seriousness of the breach.
The operation was uncovered by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police, leading to the arrest of 11 individuals allegedly involved in espionage, arms smuggling, and reconnaissance. Police said the network functioned under instructions from Pakistan-based handlers, believed to be linked to intelligence agencies.
Officials noted that the use of solar-powered systems enabled uninterrupted surveillance even in remote areas, making the setup harder to detect and dismantle.
The crackdown was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, six suspects were arrested and authorities recovered nine CCTV cameras, multiple firearms-including foreign-made pistols-and ammunition. The second phase, triggered by military intelligence inputs, led to five additional arrests tied to reconnaissance and data-sharing activities.
Investigators say the network went beyond passive surveillance. The collected footage was reportedly analyzed to identify patterns in defence movements, assess vulnerabilities, and potentially plan terror attacks or cross-border operations.
"The intention was strategic monitoring over time, not just isolated spying," officials said, adding that such intelligence could have been used to coordinate future threats.
One of the key accused is believed to have maintained direct contact with handlers using encrypted communication platforms, while others were responsible for installing cameras, conducting reconnaissance, and facilitating arms and narcotics trafficking.
Security agencies are now examining digital evidence, including mobile data and footage retrieved from the devices, to trace further links and identify additional operatives or sleeper cells.
Officials have not ruled out more arrests as the investigation continues, warning that the case points to a larger, coordinated conspiracy involving espionage, arms smuggling, and terror planning.