UP ATS arrests Pakistan 'spy': Who is Shehzad Wahab, Rampur trader who hired locals to 'help ISI'

The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) on Sunday arrested Shehzad Wahab, a trader from Rampur, Uttar Pradesh for allegedly spying for Pakistan and smuggling goods across the border.

Shehzad, a resident of Mohalla Azad Nagar in Tanda, Rampur, had made several trips to Pakistan over the years, according to a report by The Times of India.

Shehzad used these visits not just for trade but also for illegal activities, the ATS said. He smuggled items like cosmetics, spices, and clothes between India and Pakistan under the cover of cross-border trade. However, behind this business front, he was allegedly working closely with Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

A senior ATS officer was cited by TOI that Shehzad had been in direct contact with ISI agents and shared sensitive information about India’s internal security.

Shehzad is also accused of helping Pakistani handlers with money transfers within India. He also allegedly recruited people from Rampur and other areas of UP and sent them to Pakistan, pretending it was for smuggling or job opportunities. These trips were, in fact, meant to support ISI operations. The ATS said that the Pakistani handlers arranged travel documents and visas for these individuals, according to the report.

The primary investigation also found that Shehzad had provided Indian SIM cards to ISI agents, making it easier for them to carry out spying activities. The ATS registered a case against him at its Lucknow station under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deal with espionage and threats to national security, based on all the gathered evidence.

He has been produced before court and further proceedings are underway.