Sharing OTPs with Pakistani intelligence operatives: 3 arrested in Odisha
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The Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha Police Sunday arrested three people from the Nayagarh and Jajpur districts on charges of procuring pre-activated SIM cards and allegedly sharing one-time passwords (OTP) with Pakistani intelligence operatives.
They have been identified as Pathanisamant Lenka, 35, who works as a teacher in an Industrial Training Institute (ITI); Saroj Kumar Nayak, 26; and Soumya Pattanaik, 19, said STF sources.
According to an official statement issued by the STF, the three were fraudulently procuring huge numbers of SIMs in other people’s names and selling the OTPs (linked/generated using the SIMs) to various clients, including some Pakistani intelligence operatives (PIO)/Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agents in Pakistan as well as in India. In return, they would be paid by some Pakistani agents based in India.
“The OTPs shared by these individuals were used to create various accounts/channels on social media platforms and on online shopping sites as well. These are also used in opening email accounts. Since mobile numbers from India are used for such purposes, people will think that an Indian owns these accounts but they are actually operated from Pakistan,” said a senior STF official.
The statement said these social media platforms would be used in various anti-India activities like spying, communication with terrorists, radicalisation, running propaganda, fuelling divisive sentiments on social media, sextortion and honey-trapping. As these accounts are registered/linked to Indian mobile numbers, people find them trustworthy. The accounts opened on online shopping platforms are also used to supply items to terrorists and anti-India elements.
STF sources said one of the arrested individuals was also in touch with a female PIO agent based in Patna, who was arrested last year in Rajasthan on Official Secrets Act/honeytrap case.
The STF also seized incriminating materials, including 19 costly mobile phones, 47 pre-activated SIM cards and covers, 61 ATM cards and laptops from their possession. The accused could not give any satisfactory answer regarding sharing OTPs and other information with foreign nationals.
The individuals were also in the business of creating and selling mule accounts through social media groups used in various crimes, said STF sources.
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