Shahzad from Rampur accused of smuggling goods and passing sensitive information to Pakistani intelligence; second major espionage arrest in a week
May 19, 2025: Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh — Days after the arrest of Haryana-based YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, Uttar Pradesh Police’s Special Task Force (STF) has arrested a businessman from Rampur, identified as Shahzad, on charges of espionage for Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and cross-border smuggling.
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The arrest took place in Moradabad based on specific intelligence inputs. According to the STF, Shahzad had made multiple visits to Pakistan over the years and was smuggling cosmetics, clothing, spices, and other goods as a cover for espionage activities.
Officials said Shahzad had been providing confidential information related to India’s national security, along with money and Indian SIM cards to ISI agents operating inside India. He also facilitated the travel of individuals from Rampur and surrounding regions to Pakistan to allegedly join ISI operations, with visas arranged through Pakistani handlers.
This arrest marks the second high-profile case of espionage in less than a week. Previously, travel vlogger Jyoti Malhotra—who runs a popular YouTube channel with over 3.7 lakh subscribers—was arrested from Hisar, Haryana, for allegedly sharing sensitive information with Pakistani intelligence personnel.
Malhotra had traveled to Pakistan multiple times and maintained contact with a Pakistani national declared persona non grata by India. Her arrest followed the May 13 expulsion of a Pakistani High Commission official involved in espionage.
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These developments come against the backdrop of heightened India-Pakistan tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which killed 26 people, prompting India’s retaliatory Operation Sindoor.
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